Sound of the Islands
by BlueEyedMystery
Summary: Think this is just like any other Kingdom Hearts story? Think again. No Heartless. No Donald and Goofy. Not even the relationship between Sora and Kairi is the same. So go ahead and see just how crazy this story is. You know you want to.
1. Chapter 1: Paupo Fruit, HW, & Chicken

- **AUTHOR'S NOTE** -

This story took over two years to make for two reasons: 1) I only worked on the story in my spare time, and 2) I accidentally deleted it when I was halfway through writing it and had to write it from memory ALL over again (oh believe me, I was VERY angry!). I was totally obsessed with Kingdom Hearts at the time of beginning the story (well I still am. lol), but over time I wrote Sound of the Islands not just because of liking the game, but because I enjoyed making my own story with well-known characters and a decent plot. I asked myself: What would it be like if Kairi, Sora and the gang were real? If there were no Heartless (the bad guys in the game)? How would the characters interact with one another and with me? I enjoyed writing this story more when I asked myself these questions. I wanted to make my own version of Kingdom Hearts, with only the inhabitants of the Destiny Islands. No Goofy and Donald in this story, lol. Plus, I made the characters more "real" by telling their behavior in situations and their reactions to things. That was my favorite thing to do in this story was to really make the characters come alive without the help of a TV screen. Plus, Kairi was one of my favorite characters in the game, so I knew I could make her a close friend in the plot, and I really liked that idea. So, if you read this story I hope you like it. You should for all the time I worked on it! lol And oh yeah, one more thing -- back off girls, Sora's mine! hehehe...

- **BlueEyedMystery** -

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Chapter One

**- Paupo Fruit, English Homework, and Honey Chicken -**

It was perfect.

The morning came bright and beautiful when I went for a stroll along the shore of the Destiny Islands. Seabirds were appearing over the ocean, diving for their breakfast. The heavens were streaked with neon pinks and oranges, and the sandy beach was calm and quiet. The sereneness of it all made me sigh with contentment and wonder if I was in reality.

About half a mile into the walk I passed a tree house, one of many that had been built on the islands. I didn't look in its direction, for I was too enthralled with my surroundings. Suddenly, I heard a boisterous yell from and jumped, wondering whom it was. When I looked up I smiled widely.

Kairi quickly climbed down from the tree house and ran to me, arms flailing gaily. Her delicate, small form got closer, and soon she was beside of me, a little breathless.

I had met Kairi at a restaurant in Traverse Town – my family and I was visiting and had trouble finding our way around. So we all decided to stop in a small restaurant for directions. Inside I spotted an attractive dark-haired girl sitting at a small table by a window. I went up to say hello, and somehow she and I clicked. Now, a few years and several visits later, we were still fast friends.

Kairi giggled. "Sorry for startling you," she said, still catching her breath.

"What were you doing up there?" I laughed.

"I'm not tellin', well…not yet anyway." She flashed me a small, secretive smile. "What are _you_ doing out on the beach? It's seven o' clock."

"I was just taking a walk. It's so gorgeous here, especially in the morning. I wanted to see the beach again before I go back home." I hung my head sadly, remembering that my stay at the Destiny Islands was only temporary. Kairi put her hand on my shoulder.

"I know you don't wanna leave, but it's okay – this place can always be your home away from home, and you can come whenever you want. Besides," she snickered, "it's not like this place is going anywhere."

I looked up at Kairi and gave her small smile. "Thanks," I told her.

She chuckled and smiled back. "Anytime, Jess."

We then walked together along the shore in silence, taking our shoes off and digging our toes into the cool, wet sand. After a few more minutes of walking we saw a familiar hill with a poupo tree growing there. It had been there for many years, and bore large, yellow star-like fruit. Legend was that if two people shared a poupo fruit and really cared about each other, their destinies would become intertwined, and they would become a part of each other's lives no matter what. I didn't really believe in legends, so I hadn't paid much attention to it. Some of the kids on the Destiny Islands, though, had strong faith in it. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I still thought it was a little funny, because it was really just a fruit that tasted similar to a mango. I didn't think it had any magical "destiny" powers, I believed that it was just like any apple or orange.

I told Kairi this as we sat on the tree's trunk, watching the sunrise. She nodded her head and listened silently, her wiry, yet well-built legs moving slowly in parallel motions. She had a habit of doing this that drove Riku, a teenage boy that lived on the island, crazy. I didn't mind at all though.

When I was finished telling Kairi about what I thought about the poupo fruit, she smiled at me. "I think about that too," she told me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes having different opinions about something can lead to arguing about which opinion is right and which is wrong. I had gotten into one of those with Selphie, a girl that lived on the island. She's a romanticist and quite a spitfire when it comes to arguing, but soon after the short fray we made up.

Before I could say another word, Kairi gasped and pointed at the horizon. "Look, Jess! Isn't it beautiful?"

The sun was rising, creating a golden sparkle on the ocean. The sky was now a brilliant pinkish-orange, and the wispy clouds becoming visible were reminiscent of a painting. "Wow," was all I could gasp. A sunrise like that made the day look promising! With a happy sigh I closed my eyes and dug my feet in the sand.

- - - - -

I had visited the Destiny Islands over Spring Break, so there was no school for another few days. However, for some people who had trouble with a certain subject, there was the option of going to the school for an hour or two and being tutored on that subject. After "school" later on that day, Sora, a 14-year-old boy who lived about a mile away from Kairi, asked me to help him with his English homework. He didn't do that well in it, and he knew that I had more knowledge in grammar than he did.

I was reluctant. "This is what the tutors at _school_ are for. I'm not a teacher," I told him, making it clear that I had no desire to help.

"Come on. I can pay better attention when you're helping me," he said.

Ha. Yeah right.

I rolled my eyes, laughing at how rediculous he sounded. "You must be pretty desperate asking _me_ to help you instead of one of your guy friends. Why didn't you ask Wakka? He gets straight A's in everything."

"Wakka had blitzball practice," Sora responded, looking down at his enormous yellow shoes. I sighed heavily. I didn't want to help him; I would have rather been swimming at the beach with Tidus, Selphie, and Riku. But at the same time I would be very selfish not to help him out, and I didn't want that.

"Is it that long?"

"No, just a few questions I don't understand." Sora gave me a pitiful look. _"Please?"_

"Okay, okay! Fine," I told him. It was hard to say no to those big blue eyes.

"All right!" Sora cheered, a big grin spreading across his face. "Come on, my house is this way!"

Sora's homework only took ten minutes, if that. Afterwards I changed into my swimsuit and headed down to the beach to play with Tidus, Selphie, and Riku.

When I arrived Selphie and Tidus greeted me happily.

"Hey!" I said, glancing around me. Somebody was missing. "Where's Riku?"

A look of concern came across Selphie's face. "Well, from what I've heard he's sick. His mother said that at about four o' clock this morning he had a bad fever and hasn't improved since."

"Hmmm," I thought out loud. It wasn't like Riku to get sick; he always had bright eyes and a healthy shine to his hair. Oh well, I guess today we'd play without him.

Since Selphie was a girl, I'd usually hang out with her. Sometimes, though, I'd race against Riku or play tug-o-war with Tidus. Tidus had high self-esteem – maybe even a little too high – and thought he was a champ at everything. It was amusing when I beat him at a game of tug-o-war, because he's a shrimp compared to me. When we'd race, however, Tidus usually won because he can swim a lot faster. But on the rare occasion that I beat him at tug-o-war _and _racing, he'd throw his arms up in despair and go challenge Selphie.

We were all having so much fun that I soon lost track of time, and it was very late by the time I realized I was supposed to be at Kairi's for dinner. Waving a quick goodbye to Tidus and Selphie, I ran to her house as fast as I could.

- - - - -

The door opened and when Kairi got one look at me she giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "Went swimmin' with Tidus, Selphie, and Riku again, didn't ya?" She put her weight on one leg and crossed her arms. She wasn't angry or anything – this was just another small, no-biggie habit that Kairi had. She would cross her arms anytime, anywhere.

I nodded, feeling a little embarrassed and dripping wet in my yellow towel. Kairi giggled a little more, then leaned close and whispered, "You better come in and change, 'cause you're late for dinner. My mother's in the bedroom and my father's still at work. Mom doesn't know you're here."

"Oh no!" Darting into Kairi's room, I threw off my bathing suit and changed clothes quick as a flash. One of Kairi's mother's worst pet peeves was someone being late for dinner, and I was definitely not on time by any means. Maybe if I changed quick enough she wouldn't notice anything. When I came back out in a slightly damp pair of shorts and a tank top, Kairi's mother was in the kitchen. "I'm ready for dinner Mrs. Hiratada," I said behind her in an innocent voice, leaning on the kitchen table. Kairi stared at me and giggled again, unable to hold her amusement.

"Good," her mother said, smiling at me. "I've prepared one of Kairi's favorites."

Kairi's bright blue eyes immediately lit up with interest. "What is it, Mom?" she asked eagerly, tapping her fingernails on the table.

"Honey chicken with crab ragoon," she announced.

"Mmmm!" Kairi said, rubbing her hands together and licking her lips. "That sounds _good_. When will it be ready?"

"Oh, it's finished. We're just waiting for your father," she responded in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. "He's late for dinner – again."

Kairi's father arrived a few minutes later, and the dinner table fell silent as we all ate. It was utterly delicious, and afterwards I decided that honey chicken was my favorite meal too!


	2. Chapter 2: Until Next Time

Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! Now, on to chapter two...it's going to get more exciting, don't worry!

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Chapter Two

**- Until Next Time -**

After dinner, I sat on Kairi's bed in her room and looked out the window. It was dark outside, but I could hear the ocean in the distance and the night birds softly singing in the trees far above. I heard a small creak and turned around, spotting Kairi standing in the doorway and smiling widely at me. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled like a thousand diamonds. "Whatcha doing?" she whispered, coming up to stand beside the bed.

I looked out the widow again. "I was just enjoying the evening."

Kairi closed her eyes and listened. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it is," I told her. "Sometimes I wish moments like this could last forever."

I suddenly felt awkward when saying that to Kairi, even if we had been best friends for a long time and were perfectly comfortable around each other. Maybe it was because she was so intelligent and just plain cute that I sometimes felt inadequate when talking to her. I quickly added, "I mean, well…I wish nights were like this back home."

Kairi leaned against the bedpost, thinking. "Don't say that. I'm sure the nights are just as nice where you live as they are here. Every place has something unique about it, and that's what makes each one special. You may not have the ocean or the palm trees, but you have mountains and different seasons year-round." She suddenly sighed. "I've always wanted seasons here. A tropical climate can get a little boring when you've lived in the same place for 8 years." Then Kairi plopped down on the bed and sat indian-style in front of me, resting her chin on her hands, eyes still sparkling. "Tell me," she said, "what is winter like?"

"It's very cold!" I responded. "When you bundle up to go outside and you play in the snow for a while, your ears get cold and your toes get numb, even when you've only been out for a few minutes! That's when you know it's time to go back inside and get a nice hot cup of warm cocoa."

Kairi smiled, imagining what it must be like. "I'd love to be able to play in the snow," she murmured.

"You'll have to come and visit sometime in the winter, then," I told her. "My family would love to have you over for a week or two!"

Kairi nodded. "That would be great," she said. Suddenly she gasped softly. "I almost forgot!" she whispered to me, and jumped up off the bed. She opened her closet door and disappeared for a few moments. I could hear her rummaging around, saying something to herself. Then she reappeared and walked back to the bed.

"I'd like you to have this," she said, holding out her hand. In it was a small, blue bracelet. I slowly took it from her, gazing in awe at the vividly colored beads. In the lighting they seemed to twinkle, and were unlike anything I had ever seen. "Kairi, it's beautiful!" I told her.

She smiled, the light of the beads reflecting in her eyes. "I was making it up in the tree house this morning. That's why I didn't want to tell you what I was doing when I saw you on the beach. I made it so you could take a little part of this place with you wherever you go."

I continued to admire the glittering beads. "I _love_ it," I told her, smiling wide.

Kairi chuckled, her face radiant with content. "I'm glad," she whispered.

- - - - -

The next day I got up, ate breakfast, and took a walk out on the beach once again. I didn't know why, but I wanted to go to the Poupo tree again and sit on its horizontal trunk. After I had sat down for a few minutes I heard soft footsteps in the sand behind me. At first I thought it was Kairi, but when I turned around I realized it wasn't her at all.

"Hey," Sora said to me, approaching the tree. He had a calm look to his face as he pulled himself up on the trunk and sat next to me.

"Hey Sora," I told him. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," he sighed, resting his chin on one hand. "I…always come here to think about things…" He trailed off. I could tell he was distracted by something.

I turned and looked at him, inquisitive. "What do you think about?"

"Um…a lot of things," he responded, watching the ocean. "Usually I come here when I'm sad or angry, because this spot always makes me feel a little better."

"Oh." I paused, a little puzzled. "Are you sad or angry right now?"

"Nah." Sora got down off the trunk and leaned up against it for a moment, hands in his pockets. His deep blue eyes were still watching the ocean as if he were searching for something special. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," he finally said, and walked away in the direction of his house.

"Okay…um, bye." For some odd reason a strange feeling came over me when I said that to him. It felt like Sora was telling me goodbye for the last time by the way he acted and the tone of his voice. I sat on the trunk of the Poupo tree a few minutes more, trying to figure things out. But I couldn't get anywhere with my thoughts. Sora had been perfectly fine yesterday – what was going on?

- - - - -

At noon, Kairi and I set out to look for a few seagull eggs. We were going to have them for lunch. Even though I had never tasted seagull egg before, I was hungry and wanted to eat. At first I had been reluctant to tag along with Kairi because I didn't want to take forever looking for a nest, but it didn't take very long at all, much to my surprise. Since Kairi had moved to the island some time ago, she knew where all the nests could be found, and in no time she was pointing up at a very tall palm tree, saying, "Up there we should find some eggs!" It took teamwork and patience, but soon afterwards we had ourselves some delicious seagull eggs to take home for lunch. And they were heavenly, if I do say so myself. Kairi's mother sure did make a mean omelette.

Afterwards, I went to pack the rest of my things in Kairi's room. I was leaving today to go back home, and even if I missed my family, my vacation had seemed to fly by. I didn't want to leave.

I was too busy packing my belongings to hear the door open. Kairi stepped in, a gloomy look on her face. "Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, leaning against the doorpost. I knew she didn't want me to leave as much as I didn't want to.

"No, I think I've got it," I told her, giving her a small smile. "What's botherin' ya?"

"I was just outside by the shore, and I saw the boat that's taking you home on the dock. The people look like they're sitting around doing nothing," she muttered.

"What! It's here _already?"_ I asked. "But, I leave at 3:30 – that's in 3 hours!"

"I know!" Kairi agreed, stomping her foot on the floor (it was slightly amusing, for she looked like a toddler). "That's what I thought too." She went and plopped down on the bed, sighing heavily. "It'll be all right I guess," she mumbled, more to herself than to me. "You can come again soon."

"Yeah," I told her. "I'll be coming back, don't worry. Next time I'll stay for more than a week."

- - - - -

An hour before heading home that afternoon, I took one last walk to the Poupo tree. I wanted to see it one last time – there was something about it that made me feel like at that moment, everything was okay in the world. I also had a feeling that I might find something there, and sure enough, as fate would have it, I did find something – well, someone. I hadn't even reached the Poupo tree yet when I spotted a person in the distance.

Sora was sitting on the tree's trunk, gazing out over the ocean like I had seen him do earlier. I closely watched him from behind a large clump of bushes, trying not to show myself. I could tell something was definitely wrong with him – there was no doubt about it. But what? Before I left, I wanted to go and ask him if everything was all right, but I didn't. Besides, I didn't want him to think of me as some nosy stalker watching his every move. Instead I went back to Kairi's and got ready to say farewell to everyone. Even though I had told Kairi that I was going to come back soon, I had the feeling that it was going to be longer than I wanted before I'd see anyone again.

- - - - -

It was definitely a while before I heard from Kairi. A year and a half had passed, just after my 15th birthday. She had sent me a much-belated letter, telling me what had been going on in her life and asking me what was going on in mine. _How are you? Did it_ _snow in Tennessee over the winter? When can you come back to visit? Everyone really misses you, Jess._

I was a little angry with Kairi for not writing or calling sooner, but it was just as much my fault for not keeping in touch with her. Either I would forget to call her or I was too tired to do anything from running cross-country. We had both been very busy. Kairi wrote me and told me that she was now taking Kendo classes in high school. I wrote back to her saying I had Biology, the advanced science class they only gave to "smart" students. When I put my letter in the mailbox to have it sent off countless miles away, I knew that in a few weeks she'd receive the letter and call me. Then we could set up a date and I'd go back to the Destiny Islands for a visit.

When I went to bed the night I sent the letter to Kairi, I had a lot of trouble going to sleep. I realized how much I missed everyone and how I couldn't wait to see them all again.

Hopefully it would be soon.


	3. Chapter 3: The Baby Shower

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Here's chapter 3. I really liked writing this chapter and describing Kairi in it...and the chapter is shorter too, which is nice. Yes, I know -- the chapter title is so unoriginal! lol I couldn't think of a better one though. hehehe...

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Chapter Three

**- The Baby Shower -**

The small pool of water was crystal clear and refreshing; when the breeze blew it created sparkling, uneven patterns on the surface. Splashing my sandy feet with enthusiasm, I smiled to myself and looked over my shoulder in the direction of Kairi's house.

Kairi and her mother were out on the porch talking, the sunlight bathing them in bright color. Mrs. Hiratada was expecting, so she was making last-minute plans for the baby shower she was having tonight at the house. Kairi was standing in front of her, smiling a little. I could tell that she would have rather been soaking her feet in the pool with me, though. She continued to listen politely, nodding every now and then and glancing over in my direction. Her stance was as always – innocent, cute, and charismatic – this time she put her weight on one leg. Her outfit was nothing new either – just innocent and adoreable. She had on a little tan skirt and a light, almost baby blue shirt. Topping it off was a russet belt that encircled her waist. It wasn't fair. You could put a paper bag on Kairi, and she'd still look cute. No wonder Riku and Sora sometimes competed for her attention.

Finally after a few more minutes elapsed Kairi walked towards me, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face. "Sorry!" she said, moving a piece of hair out of her face and tucking it behind an ear. "Mother gets a little carried away when she talks about the things she likes. Since the baby shower is tonight, she was telling me about everything – from the table decorations to the background music."

"It's okay, Miss big-sister-to-be," I told her.

Kairi laughed, eyes twinkling. "I _am_ really excited! Only two more months until Mother's due date! I hope it's a girl."

"Yeah, but a baby brother's all right, too." I gazed up at the endless blue sky and watched the white cotton clouds drift lazily across it. "I'm so glad to be here again," I murmured.

"I'm glad you're here too," Kairi responded.

"I've really missed everyone…and since I just got here I haven't seen anybody else. I know I shouldn't be, but…I'm a little nervous about seeing everyone at the shower tonight."

Kairi playfully splashed my arm. "Don't be," she said, and then with a small giggle added, "I know someone who's missed you a lot, too."

"Who?"

"Oh…somebody." Kairi had a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Aw c'mon now, Kairi!"

"It's no one, Jess." Kairi giggled once more, covering her mouth with a hand. "Hey, I've got an idea! How about we go and explore a little in the Secret Place before we have to get ready for the shower?"

I perked up. "Sounds great!"

I rose and followed Kairi across the warm bright sand.

- - - - -

The stars blinked brilliantly in the purple evening sky. I could hear the waves lapping gently against the shore and the fireflies hovering in the shadows. Letting out a happy sigh, I closed my eyes.

I was on Kairi's patio overlooking the ocean in a cute little black dress, letting the breeze blow my hair against the side of my face. I had come out to get a little fresh air before going inside once again. A lot of people had shown up for the baby shower, and we had all dressed formally (even though I would have rather gone casual if I had the choice). The faint fragrance of cake and candles from inside crept out onto the patio, and I could hear people talking and laughing. I almost didn't want to go inside because the full moon was rising, making everything picturesque and beautiful. Light from inside shown softly on the patio floor, and I saw silhouettes in the kitchen window – most likely they were getting some cake. Mmmm, cake. My stomach growled and I hurried towards the door, forgetting about staying to watch the moon rise.

Once inside, I searched for Kairi. She had told me she had saved me a piece of cake because her mother wasn't sure if there would be enough to go around. I didn't see her anywhere so I asked her father, who was standing near the punch bowl. He said he had no idea where Kairi was either, so I stood against the wall and waited a little while, studying the diamond bracelet on my wrist. Every now and then I looked up and glanced around at everyone pleasantly talking, still feeling a little shy. It had been a year and a half since I had seen anyone last and I was trying to get used to things again. I spotted Riku and Sora sitting together at a table near me, munching on some cake. They were so much fun to watch – Riku was wearing a mischevious smirk and Sora was happily chatting away, fork in hand. Wow, did he have a great smile. I was discreetly watching them both talk when Sora glanced in my direction and spotted me, blue eyes immediately sparkling with interest. A little startled, I smiled and waved at him, saying a silent "hi." He said it back with a smile twice as big as mine and looked down at his cake, a wide grin still glued to his face.

Suddenly I heard Kairi's sing-song voice. "Jessica!" I turned around quickly and saw her making her way through the small crowd towards me.

"Sorry if you couldn't find me," she said. "I was outside getting some flowers for the table decorations."

"It's all right, as long as you saved me a piece of cake!" I chuckled. Even though I was joking, I was hungry and was hoping she had saved a piece for me.

Kairi led me to the fridge in the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a small plastic plate with a piece of cake on it – all mine! I cheerfully thanked Kairi and ate it right then and there. It was _so _incredibly delicious, the kind that melted in your mouth. I also ended up getting seconds, because a lady had taken one bite and said she didn't want anymore. Yummy, life was sweet indeed!

After everyone had finished eating, Kairi's mother began to open the presents in the living room. People started crowding into the room and I saw Kairi sit next to her father on the couch and cross her legs, her silver anklet jingling sweetly. Instead of sitting down next to her I stood and watched. I felt restless for some reason, and had a strong feeling I'd be paying the porch another visit. After the first few presents had been opened I made eye contact with Kairi and motioned to her that I'd be outside if she needed me.

She nodded her head, eyes smiling.


	4. Chapter 4: Hurricane Warning!

Are you bored yet? I hope not! Are you hooked? Good! lol Because in this chapter, the real story starts. So sit back, relax, and keep on reading! 

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Chapter Four

- **Hurricane Warning!** -

When I walked out onto the patio I thought I was all alone. It was only when I heard a masculine "hey" that I looked up, surprised.

Riku was on the patio too, leaning against the side. The breeze was blowing his feathery white hair, and there was a calm, reserved look in his eyes – a look that I think only Riku possessed. I came up and stood a few feet away from him after saying hello back, watching the moonlight sparkle on the sea and studying my bracelet again. "Nice weather we're having," I said, feeling awkward. _Oh yeah, real smooth Jess._ Everyone knows that phrase is always used in an attempt to start a conversation with a stranger. Surprisingly, even after not talking to me for so long, Riku responded like I'd been there all along.

"Yeah, it is now," he said. "But it won't be this way for much longer. This is just the calm before the storm."

I turned my eyes towards him without moving my head. "What do you mean?"

Riku looked at me, a confused frown appearing on his face. "Haven't you heard?" he asked. "It's been all over the news. The Weather Channel has been talking about a hurricane warning and how it's the season for them now…I think something's definitely coming."

"Hurricane warning?" I echoed, feeling my mind begin to race.

"Yeah. They actually issued one just a few days ago for this area."

My mind was going about a hundred miles per hour then. "_I_ haven't heard anything about it," I told him. "Wouldn't people be talking about something that serious?"

"I…guess not," Riku said. I could tell he was getting frusterated. "It's not a joke though. The warning is real...it was _on_ the news."

"But someone would have to be concerned enough to start boarding up their homes, or evacuate, or _something!"_

"Well, they're not!" Riku sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "I don't know what to tell you, Jessica. I really don't."

Silence.

I gazed hard at Riku, overwhelmed. "So, it's just going to hit us head on and devastate the island?" He didn't look at me, so I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. I knew he had to feel hopeless because he was the only one that seemed worried about the storm coming. "What do you think, Riku?"

"I hope it avoids us by about a hundred miles and just dissipates into the ocean, but you know that isn't going to happen." Riku's eyes were clouded with fear and doubt now…and that scared me. I had never seen him like this before.

I looked down at the ocean again, still trying to digest what I had been told. After talking a little while longer it was obvious that Riku wanted to keep to himself, so I said a few quick words and went back inside.

Wakka was in the kitchen, trying to be discreet in getting another piece of cake. When he saw me chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Don't mind me," he said in his unique accent. His usual spiked-up hair had been slicked back against his head for the occasion, and it looked extremely humorous. I didn't laugh though, like I usually would have. I don't even know if I said something back to Wakka or if he said something else to me, for my mind was in another place. I was thinking about the hurricane with mixed emotions. I wasn't fearful, but my joy had been sliced in half. If the warnings were such a big deal, why hadn't I seen or heard people talking about it? If it were really serious, they'd be acting less carefree than they were now, right?

Right?

- - - - -

Later on that night, I could hear the wind screaming up the shoreline. The trees were scraping up against the side of Kairi's house, making an eerie noise. Thunder boomed and seemed to shake the earth itself, and through my bedsheets I could see bright, persistent flashes of lightning. The rain poured down on the roof, and even though I knew it was well-built I began to worry about it somehow caving in.

I sighed heavily, upset from being woken and not able to go back to sleep because of all the noise. I don't think anyone on the Destiny Islands was sleeping now – how could they with what was going on outside? I decided that I would definitely talk to Kairi about the hurricane warnings tomorrow. I had a feeling that even though she hadn't said anything about it, she knew a lot more than I did. I tossed and turned a few more minutes, then glanced out from under my covers at the bright green glow of the digital clock. Only 2:30 am.

This was going to be a _long_ night.


	5. Chapter 5: Shockwave

I now present to you chapter 5 of my story. hehe I liked writing the scene between Kairi and I...because I've been in so many situations like that in real life and so I wanted to make the story more realistic by writing an experience in more detail, especially with Kairi. You learn more about her personality in this chapter too -- which I think is pretty cool. But anyways, hope you like it!

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Chapter Five

- **Shockwave** -

The warm wood of the porch felt soothing to my feet as I stepped out onto it the next morning. I could immediately feel the humidity smothering me like a blanket, and put my hair up in a ponytail. It was probably no use; in a matter of minutes my hair would be a frizzy, mangled lump of curls.

Kairi was already on the porch and was sitting in one of the bamboo chairs the family had bought recently. I immediately noticed that something was wrong by her posture – she hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, completely still. I could barely even see her breathing, and for a heartbeat I thought she might be dead. I approached her slowly and sat down in a chair, yawning and rubbing my sore, tired eyes. "Good morning, Kairi," I told her, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Hey Jess," she whispered hoarsely. I could immediately tell that something was very wrong. Kairi didn't smile, and she didn't look up at me with her bright blue eyes. A shifting, uneasy wind messed with her hair, showing her full expression. There was a worried wrinkle between her eyebrows and a sad, down-turned shape to her mouth. I felt a pang of sympathy cut through me like a hot knife through butter as I stared at her; she looked utterly miserable.

"Kairi," I said, leaning over to her, "how'd you sleep last night?"

There was a long pause before Kairi responded, which was _very_ unlike her. When she finally did speak it was a scared, muffled murmur. She turned her head and looked at me with a strange, hard gaze, her auburn hair still gently shifting in the breeze. "Jessica, there's something I have to tell you."

"It's about the hurricane, isn't it?" I asked.

Kairi gasped softly and looked down at the ground as if it were going to swallow her up. "How'd you know?"

"Riku told me about it last night," I said simply. "He said all the weather forecasters predicted that a storm was coming our way…and that it's probably going to be something big."

Kairi sighed and closed her eyes – I could tell she was struggling to hold back tears. "Then I guess I don't have to tell you after all," she told me. "I…I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it sooner though. I feel horrible for that. You're my best friend…and…" she trailed off, her voice shaking like palm fronds in the wind. I saw a single tear creep down the side of her face, marking her cheek with a wet line that stopped at her neck. She ignored it, frowning and hugging her knees closer to her body. "I'm scared," she finally stammered, still forcing back a lump in her throat.

"Kairi…" Seeing her like this made me feel like the world was coming to an end. I scooted my chair right next her hers and put my arm around her, not knowing what else to do for my friend. She leaned against me and sniffed a few times, but other than that she was silent.

"Do they know anything more about the storm?" I ventured in asking her this, since I knew she didn't want to talk about it. "Surely something is on the news about what happened last night."

"I don't know, but I'm going inside to get some rest. We can talk later," Kairi said. Her voice was no longer trembling, but I could tell she felt strained by the look on her face. She sighed once again and rose from the chair, fixing an unruly strap on her night shirt. Then she gave my shoulder a little squeeze and disappeared inside like a ghost.

I stayed outside a few minutes more, thinking. I was genuinely worried now. I didn't want a hurricane to come and destroy everything – the Destiny Islands weren't strong enough to handle a storm like the one everyone said was coming. I closed my eyes, listening to the sea nearby. It was getting angry…I could tell. With a moan I leaned my head against one hand, still shocked at how quickly everything had changed. I suddenly felt my mind drifting, and before I knew it I had fallen asleep.

- - - - -

The atmosphere of the islands changed dramatically after the storm that night. People were almost panicking, regretting not taking note of the hurricane warnings issued earlier. It was actually amazing to see how quickly people reacted and how everything was suddenly so different than the day before. Now everyone on the island was preparing – there was no doubting the weather anymore. A hurricane was definitely on the way.

Everyone now had a job on the island, no matter what age they were. I had a little job too, although it had nothing to do with preparing for the storm. I had to work like mad on my worried, beseeching parents, who had called the day after the storm to see how I was doing. I guess they had seen the news where we lived, and now they wanted me to come home. I told them that everything would be all right and that I'd call them if I was in trouble, even though I knew they didn't have a choice to come get me or not. Leaving the islands was impossible now because of the weather. I was actually a little glad I got to stay, because I was a part of all of it and I got to work with everyone and help prepare for the time ahead. Even though I was worried, I was kept busy with boarding up doors and windows, tacking extra shingles to roofs with Riku and Tidus, and searching for food. This kept my mind focused and not so apprehensive, even though the islanders were worse than I was, and it was rubbing off on me. I didn't blame them for being scared; I felt the same way. We didn't know much about the hurricane – not even what category it was. All we knew was that it was coming. It was big.

And there was going to be damage, whether anyone liked it or not.


	6. Chapter 6: Fishing With Sora

So here's chapter 6. I liked writing this chapter -- but then again, I enjoyed writing every chapter! hehe My favorite part in this chapter was describing how things were taking place and changing because of the storm, and describing Sora of course. So hope you enjoy it!

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Chapter Six

**- Fishing With Sora **-

Another monotonous day began on the Destiny Islands, and the sky was overcast yet again when I began a new assignment to help prepare for the storm. Instead of nailing extra boards and planks on houses, I now had the job of helping Sora collect food for the islanders. Kairi had wanted to tag along too so she could help us get the task done sooner, but she was stuck nailing extra shingles to the roof with her father. It was all right, though – I had a feeling Sora and I would be able to handle it without too much trouble. We'd have to be careful, though, because the ocean was no longer calm and blue. Now it was irritated and foamy, always shifting and unpredictable. At first we had to search on a different part of the island for food because the main shore was too dangerous, but we returned that afternoon.

Sora and I both walked along the shoreline in silence, ankle deep in the murky seawater. As we made our way to our fishing spot, our feet made a strange squishing noise in the wet sand. Sora and I exchanged glances and began to chuckle, our stresses and worries temproarily ebbing away like the tide. At that moment I wished the islanders still stopped to laugh at small things like that as well, but now everyone was too busy and apprehensive to care. They were too busy to stop and relax for a moment to enjoy the little things, even if they didn't matter. I found myself suddenly longing for things to be normal again; I missed laughing and talking happily with Kairi and spending time with everyone without having to worry about endless chores and hurricanes. It had been that way just last week, but for some reason it felt like an old memory to me…a memory that had happened years ago.

Sora's voice broke my thoughts. "Let's set our fishing net over there," he told me, pointing to a shallow spot among some rocks lying several feet from where we stood. It looked like a good place and Sora was better at fishing than I was, so we put the net between the rocks where it would be difficult for the current to sweep it away. Afterwards we headed back to the shore to search for clams. A few hours passed with not much luck; most of them had mysteriously disappeared from the sand and the ones we did find were small and weak – hardly fit for eating. Oh well, at least we tried. We returned to our fishing net afterwards, fairly pleased with our catch for the day. Five fish, two small shrimp, and a lobster – not bad. We put them in a wooden crate I had brought along, packed them away in a shack nearby, and headed to the jungle to look for fruit.

- - - - -

Later that evening, Sora and I sat on the Poupo tree to take a breather before heading home. It had been a long day, and we were both exhausted. I felt like I wouldn't even be able to get up and walk to Kairi's house when it became dark, but I would have to whether I liked it or not.

We were both silent as we watched the pale sun lower and kiss the hazy horizon. Even the sun had a different look to it; now it was always drained of color and hidden behind thin gray clouds. I sighed and glanced over at Sora. "Have you come to the Poupo tree lately?" I asked, remembering what he told me a long time ago.

He smiled softly, watching a seabird. "Yeah, I came yesterday." Suddenly his eyes were clouded with sadness, and he scanned the ocean as if it had taken his best friend. I frowned, realizing I had seen this look before. "What's wrong?" I blurted impulsively, startling him.

"Wha? Uh… nothing's wrong," Sora said casually, fixing his eyes on the ground.

I knew he was lying. "There _is_ something wrong, Sora. Why do you get that look in your eyes? It's like you've lost something important." I gently pushed his arm so that he'd look at me. "You know you can tell me."

Sora looked up and met my gaze for a moment, a small spark of desperation flickering in his eyes. Then before I could say something more he glanced down at my feet, which were covered with gritty sand. "I – I guess I'm scared," he finally said.

"Aw, don't be," I responded. "Just look at all the work everyone's doing! By the time this hurricane comes, we'll all be safe in our homes with nothing to worry about." I knew that wasn't completely true, but I didn't care at the moment.

"Yeah," Sora laughed uneasily. "You're probably right."

When we said goodbye to each other that night and went our separate ways, I still got the impression that it wasn't just the storm that was bothering him.


	7. Chapter 7: Kairi's Illness

All I can say about chapter 7 is that the conversation between Kairi and I took forever to write, for some reason...guess I just wasn't in the writing mood. Either that or I was sick of writing about Kairi. hehe But I hope you can't notice that from the story.

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Chapter Seven

- **Kairi's Illness** -

A week passed, and each day went on as usual. I had lost weight from eating less and working harder, and the islanders grew more tired with each passing day. There was a storm every night now, and they were getting to be so violent that nobody could get a decent night's sleep anymore.

Kairi had unfortunately come down with the flu, and it became my job and responsibility to check on her every hour or so. Because of this I never went far from her house and only collected food with Sora in the afternoon. I felt honored that Mr. And Mrs. Hiratada were letting me take care of Kairi – I knew how much they loved their daughter and how it took a lot for them to trust someone outside the family to look after her. I wanted to prove myself a capable person to them, so I took my task very seriously.

On one dark evening, I talked with Kairi a little after giving her some soup. We spoke about how everyone was preparing for the storm, and how we still couldn't believe what had taken place in the past few weeks. After a minute I paused and let her sip on some broth, studying the boarded-up window across her room. Kairi must have noticed the concerned look on my face, for she stopped what she was doing and put her hand on my shoulder. "Jess," she said softly. "You okay?"

"It's just so overwhelming," I told her. "I still can't believe how much has happened...and how much more things are going to change."

Kairi smiled weakly. "Don't worry," she said. "Everything will be all right."

I shot her a hard look. "Kairi, how can you be like that?"

"Like what?"

"You act like there isn't anything to worry about! I know it's good to be optimistic about things, but there's a _hurricane_ coming. Nobody knows when it's going to hit so they're on the verge of panicking, and you're bedridden with the flu! How can you say everything will be all right when nothing is right now?"

A stunned look appeared on Kairi's face, and I immediately regretted raising my voice at her. But before I could apologize she began speaking again. "I know a lot of things are going on right now, and don't get me wrong – I'm just as worried as you are. But I know that in the end, things will turn out for the better." She smiled once again at me and I felt a sick sort of relief; I wanted to believe her but I couldn't bring myself to. Kairi's smile was different, too; she seemed to hesitate before she did it, like she wasn't sure of herself. Before I could say anything more to her she began to cough violently, moaning in pain. I took her half-empty soup bowl and tucked her in, standing next to her until the worst of her coughing fit was over. She turned on her side and croaked a feeble "Thanks Jess," then closed her eyes, shivering uncontrollably. I sat on her bed long after she fell asleep, watching her with pity. Saddened by her condition and frustrated that there was nothing more I could do for her, I sighed and walked out of Kairi's room, closing the door gently behind me.

In the livingroom I plopped down on the couch, hearing the evening storm roar on outside. It sounded worse than ever tonight, and I shuddered uncomfortably. At that moment I wished Kairi's parents were there, but they were part of a relief crew that had set up camp a few miles away. They brought more supplies to the worried islanders to help them prepare for the hurricane, which I thought was a pretty good idea. Even though Mrs. Hiratada was pregnant, she had gone along with her husband to help out. Every other day they came to check on us both to see how we were doing, and then left again before dark.

Even though Kairi was with me, I always felt alone after the sun went down. The storms were getting scarier every night, and I was just waiting for the power to go out. I felt like it might even go out tonight, so I got a blanket and turned on a lamp next to the couch, wanting to watch TV. It was usually the cure for my sleepless nights, but unfortunately the television wasn't working. So I got out a book to read instead. It was called The Storm (ha, what a coincidence), an exciting chapter book about how the carelessness of humanity starts causing all kinds of natural disasters. I was in chapter 4 at the time, and was looking forward to finding out what was going to happen next. I began to read, and got so wrapped up in the story that after a few minutes the howling wind outside began to seem distant and unreal.

A sudden hard bang on the door nearly made me jump out of my skin. I rose slowly and stood rigid for a few seconds, every hair on the back of my neck raised. Immediately questions started shooting through my brain…_Who or_ _what would be outside at this time of night? _I swallowed, an eerie sensation prickling up my spine. My heart stopped as I took a step towards the door. Hoping and praying that it was Kairi's parents, I unlocked the door and turned the handle with trembling fingers.


	8. Chapter 8: Unexpected Visitor

I think this chapter took the longest to write, because I wasn't sure of where I wanted it to go. But I'm really happy with the result. I guess it was also hard because I didn't know how I would really react in a situation like this one because it's never happened, but I figured it out. At least, I think I did. hehehe...

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Chapter Eight

- **Unexpected Visitor** -

I was nearly knocked off my feet as Sora burst through the doorway past me, the wind and rain hitting me full-force. Pushing the door with all I had, I managed to close it again and locked it tightly, mascara running down my face. I whirled around, breathing heavily, and gaped at the drenched boy curled up on the floor. I still couldn't believe my eyes, and blinked hard through the dripping water.

"Sora!" I finally gasped. "What were you doing outside? You know that it's dangerous to go out after dark!" My voice was rising with every hearbeat. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again!" I put my hands on my hips and frowned at him, waiting for a response. None came, and as the seconds went by I felt a sharp pang of guilt for shouting at him. He hadn't moved and was soaking wet, his clothing plastered to his body. He shot me a pathetic glance, and I saw nothing but sheer horror flickering in his eyes as he hugged his knees closer to his chest. It seemed as if he'd been forced out into the open, but why was he in the storm?

"Sora," I said calmly now, leaning down until I was eye level with him. He didn't look at me or say anything – all he did was shiver, his eyes now shut tightly. I put my hand on his shoulder and helped him stand up, knowing that he probably wasn't going to talk for a while after what he had been through. I understood, and felt another stab of shame for treating him as if he had done something wrong. "Wait here," I told him, and went into the bathroom to get a towel.

When I returned and placed it over his shoulders, I gasped quietly at the sudden feeling of arms around my waist. In a split second Sora was squeezing me tightly as if I was his only chance of survival, his shuddering worse than ever. Stifling a yelp of astonishment I slowly put my arms around him, ignoring the sudden warm feeling that had rushed to my face. "Uh, it's…okay…" I said awkwardly, patting the towel down so that I could feel the water seeping through. Then, as quickly as it had happened, Sora was facing me again, looking down at the puddle of water below him. He coughed uneasily and covered his head with the towel; I think he was trying to hide the bright red color that had appeared on his cheeks.

We both sat on the couch, and five minutes passed without a word. I waited patiently for Sora to tell me what happened, but all he did was shiver and look down at the cushions. After ten minutes I became anxious, and was about to speak when Sora decided to break the silence.

"I can't believe this," he said in a low voice, almost to himself. Then he looked straight at me with pleading eyes. "What am I going to do? I bet my parents are worried about me…"

"Sora, you don't look so good." I responded, concerned. "What happened to you out there?"

He uttered a small, ashamed chuckle. "I acted like an idiot and went on a part of the island we hadn't been that day to gather some extra food." He shook his head in disbelief before going on. "It took me a while to get there, and I didn't have much luck in catching anything. I could have started for home…but I didn't…I wandered farther down the beach in another spot. I saw the clouds in the distance and felt the wind picking up speed, but for some reason I ignored it. I thought I'd be able to get home before the night storm hit. Boy was I wrong!" He paused, shivering once again. "I couldn't do anything but stumble around and cover my face from flying debris when the storm started. Then I spotted faint lights in the distance, so – "

"So that's how you found your way here," I finished.

"Yeah," Sora said, smiling helplessly.

I smiled back at him, glad that he had found shelter before the wind had become too strong. Even though I could tell he was fairly relaxed now, he still hadn't completely gotten over his shock. That gave me an idea, so I got up and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. "Hey Sora, you want some soup?"

His face immediately lit up with interest. "I'd like that," he whispered.

"Okay," I said, eyeing his clothes. "And I better get you something new to wear and put your outfit in the dryer too, so you don't have to stay all wet and cold. I'm pretty sure Mr. Hiratada has something you can sleep in for the night."

"Oh…!" Sora gasped a little and looked down at his clothes as if he had forgotten he was wearing them at all, his cheeks once again turning a bright red. "Um, it's okay, you don't have to do that – "

"Nonsense! I don't want you to catch cold."

Sora opened his mouth to say something more, but I was already in the kitchen making some nice hot soup for us both.


	9. Chapter 9: Morning of Surprises

This chapter is simple and sweet, but I like it. Believe me, all these trivial events and conversations between characters is leading up to something much, much bigger in the upcoming chapters. You'll just have to stay tuned. heehee

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Chapter Nine

- **Morning of Surprises** -

There was nowhere else for Sora to go with the storm raging on outside, so he ended up spending the night. I was glad to have the company, and we ended up talking for an hour or so before falling asleep on the sofa.

The sound of a door creaking open and a hoarse little giggle woke me immediately. My eyes widened in astonishment at Kairi, who was standing in front of the couch. She snickered softly, a naughty glint in her eyes.

"How long has _this_ been going on?" she asked, motioning to Sora. With a start I realized he was sound asleep across from me, breathing softly.

"Ha ha, very funny," I muttered sarcastically, wanting to change the subject. "What are _you_ doing out of bed? You know you're supposed to take it easy until your fever lets up!"

A wide smile spread across Kairi's face. "I don't have a fever anymore."

"What?"

"My fever broke sometime last night," she announced. There was a hint of victory in the way she stood up straight, and I could tell just by looking at her that she was right.

"Wow, Kairi!" I told her, an overwhelming sense of relief washing over me. "I'm so happy you're feeling better! I was getting pretty worried about you, especially after last night."

"Well you don't have to worry anymore, Jess. For the most part I'm feeling like my old self." She then glanced at Sora again, raising an eyebrow. I could tell she was trying hard not to giggle once more at the sight of him. "So, what's he doing here?"

"Sora got caught in the storm last night looking for extra food and ended up here. He was pretty shaken up and had nowhere to go, so I let him stay for the night."

Kairi shook her head, her amusement vanishing. "That Sora!" she murmured, giving him a stern glare. "He's always taking risks and getting into things he shouldn't." Then her look softened again, and I saw admiration and respect glowing in her deep blue eyes. "But, then again…he always does it for a good cause." Before I could agree with Kairi, she turned suddenly and made her way towards the kitchen. "I think I'm going to make some breakfast."

"I was going to do it for you, Kairi," I told her.

"No Jessica, you've done enough for me already! I want to do something myself for a change."

I chuckled, knowing there was no way of convincing Kairi otherwise once she made up her mind. "Okay Kairi, whatever you want." I turned once again to Sora and sighed, knowing that we were going to be behind schedule for fishing today because of sleeping in. After getting his clothes out of the dryer and calling his parents to let them know he was all right, I returned to the couch and shook him gently. "Rise and shine, Sora." He looked so comfortable that I almost didn't want to disturb him, but I knew that the fish, lobsters, and shrimp were waiting for us. A few seconds passed with no response, so I shook him harder. "Oh, So-raaa! Sleepyhead!" I sang. I could hear Kairi giggling again from the kitchen, and smiled.

Sora opened his eyes sleepily and moaned, frowning at me for a moment as if he didn't recognize me. Then he sat up and blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes. It was hard not to laugh at his messy morning hair, so I handed him his clothes and went into Kairi's room to hide my amusement. After changing we set out to fish, taking a few nuts and some fruit along for breakfast.

"Are you sure you don't want me to make you guys something?" Kairi asked, her voice clear and recognizable again. "There's an extra seagull egg in the fridge!"

"It's okay Kairi. We're fine," I told her, going for the door.

Sora stopped in the doorway and called, "If you hear from my parents while we're gone, just tell them I'm out fishing and I'll come home afterwards."

"M'kay!" Kairi called back. "Be careful, you guys! And come back if a storm hits, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling like my mother was talking instead of Kairi. "We will!"

Sora and I headed for the beach.


	10. Chapter 10: A Change in the Weather

In this chapter there's a suspenseful undercurrent, and at this point you're probably wondering what's going to happen. Well, for now I'm just going to have to keep you guys guessing. hehe Anyways, I present to you chapter 10. Happy reading!

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Chapter Ten

- **A Change in the Weather** -

I could feel a strange, almost eerie feeling in the air once we were outside; at that same moment Sora and I realized we could see our shadows in the sand, and squinted upward in bewilderment. The sun shone as bright as ever down on the islands as if it had never known a cloudy day. We continued to walk, dumbfounded at the weather, and soon reached the coast. I was heading to the water when Sora grabbed my shoulder. "Stop a minute," he said.

"What?"

"You hear that?"

I listened for a moment. "No."

"Exactly," Sora whispered. "Usually you can always hear the wind blowing, or see the waves crashing against the shoreline. Today there's _nothing." _I glanced at the surroundings and realized Sora was right. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and no wind – not even a slight breeze – blew in the air. The sea was placid and clear.

Everything was so…perfect. Too perfect.

Sora gazed at me with a hopeful expression on his face. "Jess, do you think it…maybe…passed us?"

I took it all in for a moment. Maybe Riku's wish had come true after all; maybe the hurricane had avoided the islands and exhausted itself into the ocean. I wanted to believe it so badly and think it had all been a bad dream. But I knew reality wasn't that way, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Sora, you heard the news. They were one hundred percent sure it was coming _here." _

"I know, but…" Sora trailed off. He hung his head and glowered at the sand, still trying to figure out the weather. I was just as baffled as he was, maybe even more so. This was exactly like what Riku had told me – the calm before the storm. I hoped it would stay that way, despite the feeling of dread that now clutched at my heart.

The sea was the most baffling of all – it was crystal clear like it had once been before all the hurricane warnings, with no signs of waves or an angry riptide. The threatening murkiness it had posessed just yesterday had vanished; all I could do was stare in befuddlement at the water before arranging our fishing nets. Sora did the same, and when we exchanged looks he gave me a helpless shrug and shook his head.

After a few more minutes passed, we waded out up to our knees and placed our nets among some large stones. The sun bathed my skin in a soft light and I closed my eyes, taking in its warmth; it had been a while since I had felt the welcoming rays. It seemed as if the sun was giving me a new energy, and I sensed an unexpected rush of joy flooding through me from my head to my toes. Suddenly feeling lighthearted, I opened my eyes and let go of the net.

"Sora, think fast!" I shouted, whirling around and splashing him in the face. For a few moments he stood unblinking at me as if he couldn't believe what I had done, half a fish net in hand. I was beginning to feel stupid and opened my mouth to give an apology when I saw a wide grin spread across his face. "You asked for it!" he shouted back, and before I could react I was ambushed by thousands of glimmering droplets. I feebly tried to defend myself by covering my face with an arm, and began laughing so hard that I fell backwards in the water, going under for a few moments. When I resurfaced I saw Sora holding his stomach and pointing, his mouth open in a silent shriek of amusement. Suddenly I realized with humiliation that I had gotten seaweed in my hair! After a few minutes of tugging at the uncooperative leaves, we managed to get it all out and tossed it back into the sea.

"Thanks," I told him afterwards, not able to stop chuckling.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Aw, c'mon! It was the least I could do after what happened last night."

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes back. "I gave you some soup. Big deal. What was I supposed to do? I wasn't about to make you go outside again." I smiled, squeezing the saltwater out of my hair. "I'm not _that _mean."

Sora smiled back, but this time it was different. His sapphire eyes reflected the ocean and began to sparkle unlike anything I had ever seen. "Jessica?"

"Yes, Sora?" I murmured, holding his gaze.

He seemed to freeze for a few heartbeats, then scanned the crystal waters that lapped gently at the shore.

"There's something I need to tell you."


	11. Chapter 11: Whatever Happens, Don't Go

So here's chapter 11 -- ta daaa! hehe Sorry it took me so long to post this up...I've been so busy lately that I forgot to get it on here sooner! This is the moment you've all been waiting for...well, some of it anyways. There's still a lot of chapters to go...thanks so much for all your reviews and happy reading!

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Chapter Eleven

- **"Whatever Happens, Don't Let Go!"** -

Before I could voice a reply, the moment between us was shattered by a sudden low groan in the sky. "Wha?" Sora and I murmured simultaneously, gaping upwards. The sun was now choked away and covered with ominous black clouds, and the very water we stood in formed irritated swirls around our legs. I turned to Sora once again and saw nothing now but vast depths of fear and sorrow in his eyes. "We were only in the eye of the storm," he whispered, and I understood instantly. The real storm had started last night, and the eye of it had just finished passing over us. Now if we didn't get to shelter immediately it was all over. A brilliant streak of lightning flashed above us, followed by a clap of thunder that shook the earth to its core. For a few moments time seemed to freeze in place as Sora and I stared on in shock, frozen with terror.

A sudden explosion of wind knocked me into Sora, and I came to my senses. "We have to get out of here!" I yelled above the thunder. Sora gave a short, scared nod and took my arm to lead me towards shelter when another gust bowled us over backwards, screeching onward down the beach as if it were alive. I saw Sora's eyes widen as he stared at something behind me, panic seizing me once again. "Jess, look!" he cried, pointing a trembling finger in the distance. I followed his gaze and screamed, clinging to his arm.

The trees were being ripped silently out of the sand and blown about like leaves in the wind just a mile away by an unimaginable force. As we watched in horror, I realized that after a few seconds the devastation was happening only half a mile away. Then it was a quarter of a mile.

We were next.

I felt Sora's grip grow painfully tight. "Whatever happens, don't let go!" he screamed, squeezing me closer. I heard another gust of wind shrieking towards us and buried my head in his shirt, knowing that it was too late now. With agonizing power a wave crashed into us, forcing the air out of my ribs. Numbed for a moment, I realized I had lost most of my grip on Sora and held onto his hand with everything I had, digging my feet into the sand. A heartbeat later and air was around us once again, the wind screaming in our ears. Sora got his footing and pulled me towards him with great effort, but I could see he had been injured somehow and let out a sobbing cry as his grip weakened and the wind and waves tore us apart in an instant. "Sora!" I wailed, catching a last glimpse of him sinking into the ocean. He was no longer moving, and there was a gash in his forehead that oozed crimson.

Suddenly I was sucked under, surrounded by churning saltwater. I clawed at the murky seafloor and kicked my legs, mind screaming for air. The undertow was driving me further and further down, pounding me against the sand. Lungs burning like fire, I felt my hands being torn from the floor and spun wildly through the water, kicking towards the surface. But my strength was ebbing quickly and I was being pushed ever downward by the relentless anger of the ocean. Soon I couldn't see the surface and screamed in anguish at the stabbing pain in my ribs.

All five senses faded and my world went black.


	12. Chapter 12: Alive?

I now present to you chapter 12 of my story. I was really depressed when I wrote this for some reason. And well...I'm just going to tell you ahead of time that you can somewhat tell I was depressed from this chapter. lol Anwyays, chapter 13 will be up soon. Enjoy!

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Chapter Twelve

- **Alive?** -

I was floating through the water, utterly weightless. I could hear voices around me, but they seemed distant and muffled, and I was unable to respond to them. Yet I could _hear_ them – was I alive? Numerous questions flooded my brain, but I couldn't answer any. Maybe I was unconscious…but how could I be aware of that…if I was? The strangest feeling seeped through me and I tried to speak, but it was no use. I don't know how long I hung in the darkness; I had no sense of time. I continued to drift farther and farther into oblivion, hearing the voices…

Suddenly I saw the indistinct outline of a person. I struggled to call out, but my throat was tight and I could still do nothing. The outline abruptly became more detailed, until I could clearly see the person standing in front of me. It was Riku. He had a mournful glint in his eyes and shot me a icy gaze, crossing his arms.

"Riku!" I exclaimed as if I had been able to speak all along. Somehow I was standing too, now able to control my movement. I spoke his name again in a low voice. "Where is everyone? _Everything?"_

He glared at me with a cold blue fire, blinking all tears away. "Gone," he hissed. "It's all been destroyed!"

I took in a sharp gasp, taken aback. "What about Sora and Kairi? Selphie and Tidus…and Wakka?"

Riku shook his head slowly, eyes tight with pain. "There's nothing left of the Destiny Islands. Nobody exists anymore."

An lump formed in my throat, and I felt the salty sting of tears in my eyes. "No!" I breathed. "No! That…that can't be true!"

"But it is, Jessica!" Riku snapped, eyes burning bright. There was an eerie tone to his voice now and he continued to frown at me almost in hatred. "It's too late! You can't save me or Kairi, and you _can't_ save Sora!"

I trembled uncontrollably. "Riku, no!" I wept, holding my head in my hands. I was alone again, but I could still hear his angered voice in the endless void of blue that surrounded me again. "No!" I cried out, raising my voice to a rattled scream. "Riku! No! _NOOOOOOOOOOOO…"_

- - -

"Gluurgh!" My body heaved, jerking forwards. Leaning to the side I coughed violently, warm sea water gurgling up my throat. I threw up for what seemed like an eternity and coughed weakly afterwards, blood roaring in my ears. When I lay back down and closed my eyes, blessed air rushed into my lungs.

Heavy sheets of cold rain battered the earth, driven by the wind. I felt it chill my skin and shuddered miserably. There was nothing but pitch black around me, but after a few minutes passed my eyes adjusted and I could make out the tall, dark outline of a palm tree up ahead. Sapped of all energy, it took a great deal of effort to drag myself through the sand and settle underneath the trunk. It wasn't much shelter – the freezing rain still mercilessly assaulted my bare skin and soon numbed my sense of feeling. I buried my head between my knees and shuddered once more, but this time it wasn't from the rain and wind. My strange dream still lingered, sending chills of anxiety and dread up my spine. Was what Riku told me about the island and the people true? I shut my eyes to get rid of the thought of being the only one left, feeling cold sand on the side of my cheek. I curled up as tightly as I could to keep warm, but to no avail. Thunder thrashed and boomed loudly above me, and every now and then lighting flickered in the sky, making me shiver and curl up tighter still.

I don't remember how or when I finally managed to sleep. But I do remember the one question that plagued my mind long after I stopped hearing the thunder.

_Oh Sora…where are you now?_


	13. Chapter 13: Dread

I now give you chapter 13 of my story. Ta da. heehee Despite the name of the chapter, you'll find out a good thing about The Destiny Islands. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you...all I'm going to say is that things are going to get worse before they get better, and DON'T WORRY -- despite what you think, this story does have a good ending! hehe

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Chapter Thirteen

- **Dread** -

"Jessica!"

I immediately snapped awake, gaping in shock at who I saw in front of me. "Kairi?"

She was on her knees, sobbing bitterly. I had never seen her so upset. "Oh Jess! I thought you were dead!" She squeezed my shoulders so tightly I winced; then she realized with embarrassment what she was doing and released her grip, wiping her eyes. "Are you all right?" she asked, sniffling.

I was still disoriented, but managed to say "I think so." Shaking my head and taking a deep breath, I tried the best I could to clear my thoughts.

"What happened to you guys out there?" Kairi asked, eyes eager. All her anguish and worry had gone.

I frowned down at the sun-baked sand, remembering. "Sora and I went to the beach to fish. We were getting the last net ready when the sky turned dark in an instant! We were separated by the strong current, and…" I trailed off. "…it was awful, Kairi. I knew for sure I was going to drown."

"But you didn't!" Kairi broke in, unable to restrain her delight. She leaned over and gave me an enthusiastic hug, almost squeezing the air out of me. "I'm so glad you're safe, Jess. We were all worried sick about you guys!"

When Kairi let go of me I gave her a somber look, once again remembering my unpleasant dream the night before. "Is everyone all right?"

Kairi's smile seemed to stretch twice its normal size. "Everyone's fine," she breathed. "The storm did some damage to our houses, but nothing serious. The real devastation happened on a part of the island with trees and jungle – where no one lives."

I let out a long sigh. "I was worried about the amount of damage the hurricane caused. It's a miracle nothing worse happened."

Kairi nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Me too." She stood up and daintily brushed the sand off her legs, a look of overwhelming relief flickering in her eyes. "Ya know, there's several search parties out looking for you guys. I'm with Selphie and Wakka; we split up about half a mile ago. They were headed to The Falls to look for Sora."

My heart stopped. "Sora's still missing?"

"Yeah," Kairi said, concern in her voice again. "We haven't found him yet, but I'm sure he'll turn up soon – "

"We _have_ to find Sora!" I stumbled forwards and ran across the hot sand, but my legs were still weak, and I ended up falling to the ground.

"Hey!" Kairi called. "Calm down, Jess!"

"No, you…you don't understand!" I started to cry softly, unable to control the tears. My stomach churned and twisted into a large, painful knot.

Kairi kneeled down next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. I found _you,_ didn't I? We're going to find Sora too – it's just a matter of where and when."

I sat up, covering my face with a hand. "Kairi, when I saw him last, he…he was bleeding. Bad…" I couldn't finish, and felt another torrent of tears stream down my face.

There was a long silence. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kairi's eyes widen with shock. She looked as if she wanted to say something and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She murmured a few words under her breath, and when I looked up at her through watery eyes I could tell she had started crying again. But this time she made no noise, and her eyes seemed lifeless and dull. Together our tears had made a small dark spot in the sand.

"Come on," she finally whispered in a quavering voice. "Let's go meet the others."

It didn't take us long to reach the other search parties. When Kairi called out 'I found her' they all reached me in a matter of seconds. They were totally thrilled I was in one piece and wouldn't stop asking me questions. Riku and Tidus even gave me a big hug. I guess seeing me alive gave everyone more hope in finding Sora. I should have been thinking the same way, but all I felt inside was a sick, weakening dread.

I had barely survived.

What if Sora hadn't been so lucky?


	14. Chapter 14: Losing Hope

Finally -- a chapter that's one of my longer ones! hehe I'm not big on writing extremely long chapters, but lately I've felt like my chapters have been a little too short. That's going to change, starting now. Enjoy chapter 14 and thanks for waiting!

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Chapter Fourteen

- **Losing Hope** -

It was evening on the Destiny Islands, and a few people were talking outside Kairi's house. I could hear the murmuring of their voices; the sound was easily carried by the soft breeze to my window.

I was in Kairi's room, gazing outside on her bed. The sunset glowed through and bathed me in a pale golden light. I glanced at the sky and realized with a small sigh of relief that it would be a long time before another hurricane came to visit. Yet, I couldn't enjoy it.

I couldn't stop wondering if Sora was all right. The unforgettable look of fear in his eyes…the images of him dissapearing into the ocean…they played over and over again in my mind like a never ending nightmare. I felt like I wanted to scream.

A sudden waft of sweet island air blew in and teased my hair into my eyes. Usually I would have fixed it back into place, but I paid no attention, and was so deep in thought that I ignored the creak of Kairi's door as someone else entered the room.

Kairi stood behind me, twirling a small piece of her hair with a finger. "It's nice."

I turned and gave her a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Kairi chuckled. "Just look outside!" she murmured, almost in awe. "No storm tonight. The sky's as clear as can be!" She sat down next to me on the bed, eagerly waiting for a response. I said nothing. Kairi uttered an impatient sniff. "Doesn't that make you – _happy?"_

"Mm-hmm," I mumbled.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kairi frown at the wall. "Jess…it'll be okay."

I shot her a piercing look. "You don't understand! You're…you're acting as if everything's fine, and it's not! Sora could be _dead_ for all we know!" It took a lot of effort for me to say the last few words and I felt a spasm of unbearable anguish knaw through me. The tears were coming again; I tried to hold them in, but it was like trying to control traffic at rush hour. I quickly wiped my eyes in frustration and looked away, unable to meet Kairi's gaze. I could feel the despair that swept over her, and the space was still for a long time.

I had expected Kairi to leave the room because of the sudden tension that had formed between us, but after a few minutes she spoke to me in a calm voice. "You're more than just worried about Sora, aren't you?"

I sniffed and frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

Kairi rolled her eyes and stared at me. "Come _on_, Jess. You and Sora were together a lot before the hurricane, collecting food and whatnot. What exactly went on between you two?"

"Nothing!" I told her defensively. Even though I had never gone past the thought of being Sora's friend, I knew my feelings for him went deeper than that. Recalling past conversations and things that had happened between us, I slowly realized with bewilderment that I had become more than a friend to Sora – without even knowing it.

"May I be alone?" I asked Kairi, giving her an _I hope you understand_ look. She must have, for she smiled gently and patted me on the back. "Sure," she said, getting up and closing the door slowly behind her. There was a lonely silence in the room for a few seconds.

I buried my head in her pillow and sobbed.

- - -

The next morning I woke up before anyone else did. Slipping quietly into the bathroom and putting my hair back in its usual ponytail, I got dressed and headed outside after fixing breakfast. I was glad that Kairi and her father were sleeping later than usual – Mrs. Hiratada was in the hospital for some minor pregnancy complications, and they had stayed with her for most of the night. I was thankful that I could have some time to myself.

Even though it was still dark, the morning looked promising. Street lamps illuminated the weathered dirt of the path and the fireflies lazily hummed around me in every direction. I could hear the night birds still twittering softly in the palm trees above and uttered a small sigh, wishing I knew how to deal with all my mixed emotions. I hardly noticed the slight hint of pink above that signaled a future sunrise; instead I kept on walking.

Most houses I passed on my walk were still quiet – even so, they appeared just as welcoming and pleasant to the eye in the dim morning light. Not wanting to waste any time, I continued on past the dwellings of Tidus and Wakka. A small car was pulling out of the garage at Selphie's house, and I saw that Riku had kept his aquarium light on in his room again. Amazingly, things seemed to be the way they were before the hurricane – calm and undisturbed. I began to hum softly to myself and rounded a bend in the road, heart beginning to thump.

Finally I came to Sora's house. It was sitting comfortably on a hill, nestled among small palms and hibiscus bushes. There was a perfect view of The Falls in the distance, and as I gazed at the terra cotta tiles and smooth adobe walls of the house, memories flooded my consciousness. Memories of barbecues and late-night blitzball matches on TV…with raspberry lemonade and sugar cookies. Sora's mom always made the best sugar cookies…

I took a deep breath and walked to the door, unable to dwell on the past. I stood there in front of it for a few minutes, my brain suddenly feeling numb. _What am I doing here? Why the heck did I get up so early to come to Sora's house in the first place?_ After feebly attempting to collect my thoughts, I knocked hesitantly on the door.

A few seconds later I heard footsteps from within, then the definite click of the doorknob. Mr. Ishiyama peered through the small crack with tired eyes; for a heartbeat it alarmed me that he didn't seem to know who I was. "Jessica?" he suddenly whispered, opening the door wider. Sora had inherited so many of his father's features (including those baby blue eyes) that for a moment I thought I was actually looking at him, and pushed the thought away.

"Uh, yeah…hi." I smiled nervously.

Mr. Ishyama's face softened. "Hi."

"Um…any clues as to where Sora…may be?"

Mr. Ishiyama hung his head sorrowfully, and I immediately regretted knocking on the door. "No. As soon as it gets light we're going to search for him again." The saddest look appeared on his face – the kind of hopeless expression one gets when they feel the world is caving in on them. I wanted so badly to tell him what had happened during the storm and what I had seen, but the words wouldn't come. All I could do was try and swallow the lump in my throat and politely nod. He smiled grimly and said something more, then turned at the sound of Mrs. Ishiyama's voice from inside and said a quick farewell. I was faced the front of the door again as if nothing had happened, suddenly feeling like a complete idiot.

As I headed for home, I thought of Mr. Ishiyama's expression. He seemed so overwrought. So helpless. I hated seeing that Sora's own parents were losing hope. I could tell they were just by the tone in his father's voice, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it may be better to give up – and not have a false hope that Sora had survived. I couldn't bring myself to be optimistic when I remembered how things had happened at the beach, and felt as if I was floundering in the middle of the ocean with no way out.

Ignoring the sunrise, I ran back to Kairi's house as fast as I could.


	15. Chapter 15: Searching for Answers

In this chapter, you all find out something VERY important!!! So pay attention. heehee Thanks so much for all your awesome reviews, it means so much to me -- chapter 16 is coming soon! 

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Chapter Fifteen

- **Searching for Answers** -

When I came in through the door, Kairi was in the kitchen making some oatmeal. She whirled around and blinked away her drowsiness, putting a hand on her hip. "Where have you been?" she demanded in a flat voice. "I was getting worried."

"Oh…I just took a walk." I didn't feel like talking, so without waiting for a reply I trudged into Kairi's room and closed the door behind me. Checking over my things, I searched for my photo album that I made when I had visited the Destiny Islands in the past. Sure enough, it was securly huddled among Kairi's books on the shelf where I had left it. I plopped down on the floor with a sigh and began flipping through its many pages. Finding a picture of Tidus and Selphie, I turned towards the front of the album and spotted Riku making a serious, macho face to the camera. I remembered how long it had taken for me to persuade him to get his picture taken, and felt the corners of my mouth lift a little. My fingers continued to carefully thumb through the memories until I came to the picture I was looking for – the picture Kairi's mother had taken long ago on my very first visit, just after my 13th birthday. Kairi, Sora and I were sitting on the dock among some fishing nets, huge smiles on our faces. For a split second I recalled how happy and carefree I had felt at the time, and longed for things to be that way again. _Will things ever go back to how they were before?_ Another lump began forming in my throat, but this time I didn't cry.

The door squeaked open behind me and I heard Kairi come in and sit on her bed, rubbing her eyes. "Hey," she rasped. "I just got an idea." She cleared her throat and began changing out of her pajamas, a small grin on her face. "What?" I asked, unable to pull my eyes away from my photo album.

"We can go to The Cliffs to look for Sora!"

I let out a small gasp and almost wanted to chuckle in disbelief. "Kairi…aren't you forgetting? The Cliffs are almost on the other side of the island!"

She shrugged, still grinning. "So?"

"So how the heck are we gonna get there?"

"If we leave within the next few minutes we'll be able to get there in little over an hour, but we have to move fast," Kairi went on. "Think about it, Jess! Nobody has gone to that part of the island yet. We might find something!"

I knew she was right, despite the knot that was eating away at my stomach. Everyone had avoided The Cliffs because they were hard to reach and the terrain was a little dangerous if you didn't know where you were going. _I_ hadn't even been there before, but had heard about it from a fisherman on the islands. When I thought of Sora possibly being stranded in the jungle, the thought of huge blood-sucking mosquitos and quick sand hardly bothered me.

Suddenly a new hope flickered within, and I realized how dumb I had been acting all along. Even if Sora had been badly hurt – even if the situation was bleak and unpromising, and people were starting to think he was gone for good – I _couldn't_ abandon him. I rose from the floor, frowning out the window. "Okay Kairi."

She turned, and a curious expression swept over her face when she saw me. "…Jess?"

Determination burned in my eyes like the brightest fire, and I gave Kairi a short nod. "Let's do it."

- - -

Kairi had thought of everything to bring that I hadn't. She had carried along an old map of The Cliffs that her father kept in his bedroom drawer, and some bug spray for the nasty insects we'd be meeting in the jungle. I had a compass to point us in the right direction and a few snacks to keep our metabolism going, along with plenty of water. "You can never, _ever_ have enough water," Kairi told me. "It reaches 91 degrees in the afternoon, so you have to keep hydrated or else…you'll be in trouble."

Kairi and I left soon after, telling Mr. Hiratada we were going for a long walk. It was partly true – we _were_ going for a walk, but if he had known our destination he would have refused letting us go without a moment's hesitation.

When starting out we headed West through a dense forest of guava and mango trees, then to a wide strip of beach. About 20 minutes later we came to more forest, but this time there were less trees and more ferns scattered among moss and logs. By the time we had gotten to that point there were no houses in sight. Most people on the Destiny Islands lived together in one section; I guess they didn't like the idea of spreading out. Every now and then we would pass a small fruit stand, but it looked as if they had been there for years. "There's a lot of quicksand around here, so watch your step," Kairi told me up ahead.

Several minutes later we reached the part of the island that had been devastated by the hurricane. It was unlike anything I had ever seen – a wasteland of debris and fallen trees in every direction. They lay dead and still in the sun baked sand, their roots ripped cruelly from the ground. There was an eerie feeling about the place, and time seemed to stand still as Kairi and I made our way through the emptiness and further out onto the island. We stopped every now and then to check our sunscreen, and were relieved when we reached another section of cool greenery that sheltered us from the smothering heat. "We're almost there," Kairi told me, taking a few big gulps from her canteen. "After clearing this last bit of forest, we should be able to see the outline of The Cliffs." I nodded, also drinking some water. I could hardly wait to begin searching, for I was extremely apprehensive and couldn't settle the tight feeling of tension in my stomach.

Sure enough, we arrived at The Cliffs upon coming out of the forest. They were enormous – their dark, jagged outlines reaching to the sky. Even the most enthusiastic rock climber would have been intimidated by their size and sharp, unwelcoming shape. For a few moments I gaped at the small palms and bushes that grew on crevices in the rock, and was puzzled at how they could survive without being blown away by the harsh wind that came in by sea. Then I studied my surroundings and noticed that except for a tiny beach with small round pebbles and blackish grit, there was nothing but jungle ahead of us. I also spotted a weather-worn shack on the edge of the bank, and Kairi told me that some time ago there had been an old hermit that lived on the beach. "He tried to make his home near The Cliffs," she explained, "but there was no fresh water on this part of the island that we knew of, so he failed staying here very long." She stopped as if she had realized something important, and shot me a troubled glance. "If Sora _did_ happen to have been stranded here…let's hope he found something." At those words I immediately felt my throat tighten with worry and a cold sweat run down my neck. After studying the map a few minutes more, Kairi and I headed deeper into the emerald jungle.

- - -

Four miles away, Sora Ishiyama stumbled desperately through the thick vines and undergrowth that surrounded him. Exhausted beyond comprehension, he closed his eyes and forced himself to swallow, but it was no use. His throat was sore and inflamed from all the saltwater he had been forced to drink because of the lack of fresh water. The day before seemed like years ago, and he could barely remember washing up on the rocky shoreline with the rain beating down on him. He had no idea where he was or where he was going, and sadly didn't realize that if he had followed the beach a few miles Eastward he would have now been safe inside his home. Sora's stomach growled furiously, grimly reminding him that he had only eaten a few figs for breakfast. Trying to ignore his hunger, he wiped his sweating forehead. _"Owwww!" _The deep cut above his right eye had started bleeding again, and it was mixing with his sweat and stinging his eyes. All the heat was making him feel sick, and to make things worse, a shimmering cloud of whining mosquitoes and gnats had formed around him. Sora waved at them constantly, but it was no use. They followed him like his own shadow. His legs, arms, and face were dappled with swollen red bumps that stung like fire.

Despite his terrible headache Sora continued on, hoping to find water. An hour went by with no luck. With a heavy groan he plopped down among a grove of large ferns, wincing in pain at the large purple bruise on his behind. _This is just great. How am I going to find Jess now when I'm not moving? Well…maybe a short rest won't hurt…but then again, what if she's worse off than I am? _

Before he could think any more, the mosquitoes had found him again. He was so weak he could barely slap them away, and covered his head with his hands. Seconds aftewards, several of the vicious things landed on the back of his neck and began to feed once more. "I wish all bugs went to hell…" Sora muttered bitterly. _"…stop biting me!"_ He painfully rose to his feet and ran through the forest as fast as he could, ignoring the branches and vines that slapped his face and thorns that tore at his skin. Suddenly a small rock caught his foot, and with a hoarse yelp he fell flat on his stomach in the dirt. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his ribs, causing him to cry out in agony. For a moment he struggled for air, the mosquitoes hovering around him again. _It's the end,_ he thought a few moments later, still heaving painfully for air. _I…I failed her. I failed everyone..._

With a pitiful moan, Sora buried his face in his hands and silently wept.


	16. Chapter 16: My Prayer

Ta-daa! Here's chapter sixteen for you guys. For some reason I didn't feel like this chapter is very good, but that's my opinion. I'm a major perfectionist, so it's probably just me. hehe In this chapter you find out exactly how Jess feels about Sora. It's sweet but really sad too...more to come soon! Until then, happy reading and thanks again for all your great reviews!

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Chapter Sixteen

- **My Prayer** -

The insects were the worst thing about the jungle. I had thought at first that humidity won first place, but after adventuring through the thick foilage without any bug spray, my opinion completely changed. Even after Kairi and I had drenched ourselves in repellant, mosquitoes and gnats followed us from a short distance, always announcing their presence with whining and buzzing. Thank goodness Kairi had thought of supplies ahead of time, or we'd have been sucked dry.

The heat and bugs became more intense as each grueling hour passed by with still no sign of Sora anywhere. As we made our way through some vines Kairi turned to me with a helpless expression on her face, her hair limp and lifeless. "Jess, I don't know how much more of this I can take," she told me. I nodded my head in agreement and slapped at a mosquito, sighing with reluctance. "Yeah, me neither."

Kairi perked up a little. "Hey, we covered at _least_ three miles," she said. "And there's always tomorrow. We can come back and cover some more ground...that is, if Mom doesn't have any more complications at the hospital."

For a fleeting moment I felt lighter. The tight, twisting knot in my stomach had temporarily loosened, and I tried to tell myself that we'd definitely find something tomorrow – if not Sora, than maybe a shoe or a piece of torn clothing But convincing myself was only temporary, and I knew too well that the knot would soon tighten again and I'd get a bad taste of reality.

Our search for Sora then ended for the day. Kairi followed the map to a shortcut through the forest and led us back to familiar territory. On the way home we ran into Sora's parents and a few others that had formed another search party. I told them we had searched near The Cliffs, so they decided to pick up where we had left off. It sounded like a pretty good idea to Kairi and I, but as we said goodbye to them I noticed something I never had before. Nobody in the group – not even Sora's parents – seemed like they had much hope left. It looked as if they were all hanging on by a thread, and that angered me. Even so, I was beginning to feel very similar. As we headed home I realized with dismay and alarm that almost everyone was beginning to lose hope now. I pushed the thought out of my head and replaced it with Sora, taken aback by the warm feeling that shot through me when I saw him in my mind. I mentally kicked myself. _This isn't helping Jess. Stop thinking about him. It's only going to make things worse, you know that!_

"You okay?" Kairi asked me, and I immediately snapped out of it, embarrassed.

"I'm okay…just a little hungry," I told her.

Kairi nodded. "Me too," she responded, a cheerful inflection to her voice. "I think we have some extra sushi rolls and green tea ice cream in the fridge."

"Ooh, yum," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "We've only been eating sushi and green tea ice cream for the past two days. Your dad needs to leave the hospital for a second and go grocery shopping!"

"Picky, picky!" Kairi chided, and playfully smacked my arm. I laughed until we reached her house. It felt unusually good; I hadn't done it in a long time.

Too bad Kairi and I had decided to call it quits only half a mile away from Sora.

- - -

A week passed and nothing changed. Everybody had stopped looking, except for Sora's parents of course. Kairi and I had wanted to continue our search, but now we were always at the hospital because of Mrs. Hiratada, and we didn't know where to look next. The island had been investigated many times, and people were running out of ideas. It was frustrating to all of us.

A few days later at the dinner table Kairi's father told me that Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama had stopped looking as well. They had given up on their own son. Hearing that made me feel like marching up to their door and demanding that they form another search party, but there wasn't much of a point in looking anymore. There had been no trace of Sora ever since the hurricane, and there was no way everyone could keep on scouring the island for him when they were getting nowhere with it. I realized that now, even though I couldn't accept it. I detested thinking that Sora would never be coming back, and although the brutal knot in my stomach was tighter than ever now, I refused to believe anything negative.

School would be starting once again, so I had to go back home within the next several days. In a way I was glad; I hadn't seen any family in over a month because the hurricane had changed plans. As I packed some clothes into my giant suitcase, I remembered that I would be turning sixteen in January. Very soon I'd be able to drive my own car and possibly get a job. I couldn't believe how fast time had flown, and my head spun with simultaneous feelings of excitement and apprehension. Thinking about these kind of things kept my troubled mind off Sora, and at this point I was willing to think about anything other than him – and what could have possibly happened to keep him missing so long.

Soon came the end to another day on the Destiny Islands. After the sun set I got a shower and sat on Kairi's bed, listening to the ocean in the distance. I tried remembering if I had forgotten any of my things so that I could pack them and not have to worry about it when I left. As I was doing this Kairi quietly entered the room, wrapped in her pink towel. "Is it just me or did that hot shower feel extra good tonight?" she chuckled, sapphire eyes smiling at me.

"It did feel nice," I told her, looking out the window so she could change.

"You know," she murmured after a long pause, "I've been thinking."

"Uh oh," I laughed.

"No, I mean it," Kairi said in a serious tone of voice. "I've been thinking about what's happened in the past month. First there was the hurricane, and then Sora goes missing. Everybody seems so stressed out these days, and I know they have a good reason to be, but – "

"But what?"

Kairi finished changing into her nightie and sat down next to me. "It just would be nice if everyone stopped worrying for a day and acted like they did before all of this happened. I know that sounds selfish…but I'm tired of feeling this way, and I know everybody else is too." She sighed and looked down at the bed.

"You know what, Kairi? I've wished that too," I told her. "I wish it _could_ be like old times. I wish we could get together with Riku and the gang and build a bonfire like we used to every Saturday on the beach. I wish we could explore the Secret Place and tell stories in the caves with our flashlights…and…"

Suddenly a huge lump formed in my throat, and I could feel my tear ducts opening. With much effort I forced them back. "…and I wish I could go to the poupo tree and watch the ocean without thinking of Sora."

Kairi gazed at me for a long time with a sympathetic glint in her eyes. "I have an idea," she suddenly told me, her smile broadening. "How 'bout tomorrow we invite everyone to come and just have some fun on the hill overlooking the beach? I can bring the badminton net and the volleyball too! There can be fruit and lemonade, and if anybody gets hot they can take a dip in the ocean."

"That sounds like a _great_ idea, Kairi," I murmured, grinning at her.

She grinned even wider. "Then let's do it."

That night before I went to sleep, I prayed for a long time. _Please…if it's possible…let Sora know somehow that I haven't given up on him, and that he _has_ to hang on and keep going. _I paused for a while inside my sleeping bag, my thoughts desperately crying out in the dark. I felt my body tremble as I forced myself not to cry, but this time it didn't work.

_If nothing else, please let him know that I love him._


	17. Chapter 17: Almost Like Old Times

Hey everybody! First of all, I am SO sorry for posting up this chapter a day later than I said I was going to! My computer was being an uncooperative little jerk yesterday. Plus I wasn't home long enough to get on this site...but anyways, here's chapter seventeen for you guys to read. I feel like something's missing from this chapter, but I don't know what. Probably nothing. haha The next update will be Wednesday -- I promise!!!

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Chapter Seventeen

- **Almost** **Like Old Times** -

"Hey!" Kairi called. "Mind helping me out a little? Riku and Wakka will be here any minute!"

I laughed at the sight of Kairi tangled in the badminton net, a comical expression on her face. Realizing she was definitely not the best at putting things together, she sighed heavily, glancing at the instructions again. "Geeze, it's like this is in another language," she muttered, waving the paper at me. I approached her from my spot at the picnic table, not able to hold in my giggles of amusement. Kairi crossed her arms. "Put Pole C parallel to the mesh counter…what the heck does _that_ mean?"

I took the paper from her and scanned it briefly. Then I stuck a pole in the sand and tightened a small string on the net with little numbers lined up on the bottom. "There," I announced, laughing again at the priceless expression that came over Kairi's face. Her eyes were as wide as coconuts. "What…what'd you just do?"

"I followed the instructions," I said casually, tightening the string on the other side of the net.

"Hmph. No fair," Kairi whined, pursing her lips and scowling at the instructions.

"Aw come on. You're smart, it's just…" I trailed off, grinning to myself. "…it's just you don't know how to read, that's all."

Kairi rose and playfully smacked my arm. "Well at least I know how to cook!" she teased. "Who _else_ could have made those delicious mango swirl cookies you see on the picnic table?"

I laughed again. "Nobody but you, Kairi." Eyeing the instructions again I asked, "Are you sure you want to put the net up in this direction? It would be easier to play if the wind wasn't blowing against us."

Kairi's eyes were deep in thought. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "We'll rotate it so the wind won't give us a hard time." She then frowned slightly and looked at me with a small smirk. "What I meant was _you_ can rotate it. I'd just end up breaking it."

After the badminton net had been set in place we heard a boisterous yell from the picnic table. Riku and Wakka stood smiling at us, the breeze messing with their hair. Kairi and I ran to meet them, returning their shouts with a friendly hug. Now only Selphie and Tidus were left; after they showed up everyone would be present.

Well...everyone except Sora.

I hummed to myself as I put the last stake in the ground for the net, trying to focus on other things. But I couldn't ignore the empty feelings inside or the spot at the picnic table that Sora wouldn't be sitting at today. _If only he was here to make things perfect..._

Everybody arrived soon after Riku and Wakka, and we all played a short but intense game of badminton. Afterwards I walked to the edge of the hill, squinting out at the glittering ocean. It was a brilliant cerulean color, with contrasting spots of green scattered around the shoreline. An occasional wave lapped at the white sand, and every few minutes a seagull cried out in the distance. It was unusually beautiful today. For once I couldn't feel the knot of pain in my stomach; it had slowly ebbed away like the tide. Instead I felt invigorated by the clean island air.

I heard soft footsteps in the sand and glanced over my shoulder to see Selphie approaching. She stood next to me and gazed out over the horizon for a few heartbeats, smiling to herself. "This is great," she murmured, fixing a pink hibiscus flower she had placed in her hair.

"I know," I responded. "It's the first time since the hurricane that everybody's been together like this."

Selphie chuckled, and out the corner of my eye I saw her nod enthusiastically. "Feels good to be able to socialize again without having to worry about a storm!" She paused and looked behind her. "To tell you the truth, I think we all needed it."

"Me too, Selphie," I agreed, turning to look at her. She beamed at me, the sun reflected in her stunning aqua eyes. For a moment I felt a pang of dissapointment and anger towards her. Even though I was hiding it, she didn't notice that something was bothering me...and by the way she acted she seemed blissfully unaware that Sora was gone. Did _anybody_ care? Or were they just burying their feelings like I was because dealing with reality was too much for them?

At the table we had mangos, kiwi, oranges, and pineapple – all laid out delicately on bright green palm fronds. Kairi joked about cutting a Poupo fruit in half and seeing which person's destiny would be joined with another's, but we hadn't remembered to get any from the tree. Before playing volleyball we snacked on fruit and crackers for a few minutes, talking pleasantly. As the day progressed, I realized that I was enjoying all the association more than I thought I would have.

I got up from the table after chatting with Tidus and walked once more to the edge of the hill overlooking the ocean, letting the breeze waft around my curly hair and brush it against my cheeks. I suddenly found myself gazing out over the endless blue expanse, my eyes scanning the gentle, foamy waves. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I continued to stare out into the distance, frusteration tugging at me. Suddenly I realized with a jolt what I was doing. When Sora and I used to sit on the Poupo tree and watch the sun set, he would always get the same heartrending look on his face when he fixed his eyes on the ocean. I sighed and looked away, slowly shaking my head. _This is rediculous! Why is everything reminding me of Sora today? _I trudged back to the picnic table towards Riku, dragging my feet in the sand. _At this point I would do almost anything_ _to get the bittersweet images out of my mind._

A few hours passed, and it started to get late. We had played countless matches of badminton and volleyball, so most of us were sore and exhausted. After working together to put up the net and clean the picnic table, the group exchanged their goodbyes and thank-yous, dissapearing to their homes soon after for dinner. Kairi and I talked for a while and sat on the picnic table for a long time after that, watching the sun sink beneath the sea. It felt good to hear the night birds whistle and the gentle wind coax the waves onto the shore. A few fireflies danced around us, the trees and shrubbery now mere black outlines against a violet sky bejeweled with stars. I sighed happily and glanced at Kairi. She was gazing upwards, a contented glint in her eyes - even after a long day of playing sports she still somehow looked amazing.

The sharp pain that gnawed at me inside for the past few weeks had now miraculously vanished, and I smiled at the stars, putting my arm around my best friend. I now knew that all I had to do was believe.

- - -

"The sky...it's so pretty," Sora whispered, blinking slowly. He hadn't moved for several hours, but he was okay with that. The mosquitos had finally given him a break after the sun went down, and he had managed to find a small puddle of rain water earlier that day. Now he had only one thing on his mind.

"I bet Jessica is watching the same stars tonight," he thought aloud, smiling sadly. He felt a warm tear escape out of his eye and roll down his face, but he was too weak to wipe it away.

_To__o bad I can't be there to enjoy it with her. _


	18. Chapter 18: Miracle

I told you I'd post chapter eighteen up on Wednesday! Even though it's evening...I still did it! hehe Unfortunately, my story is coming to a close soon -- I only have two more chapters to go after this. Thanks as usual for keeping up with the story and giving me such great reviews on it. It means more than you know! Okay, on to chapter eighteen -- brace yourselves, you're going to find out something important in this chapter. Happy reading!

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Chapter Eighteen

- **Miracle** -

On my last day at the Destiny Islands, I planned to relax and kick back a bit since I had packed most of my things the day before. In the early afternoon I went for a walk – I needed to say goodbye to everyone beforehand so they wouldn't have to show up tomorrow at the docks to bid me farewell unless they wanted.

Instead of visiting with Selphie and Wakka like I had planned on doing, I ended up walking farther down the road, singing to myself as I went. I was confused as to why I felt the need to talk to Riku first, but I didn't stop walking and reached his house a few minutes later. There were no cars parked in the driveway; his parents must have been at work. I didn't want to be rude and snoop around to see if someone was home – usually when Riku's parents were gone, he was too. Even so, I decided otherwise and slowly made my way to the large front door. A few seconds passed in silence after I rang the bell, and there was no activity from inside. I sighed with dissapointment and turned around, glaring at the ground as I made my way down the steps of granite.

Suddenly there was movement in front of me and I gave a startled gasp, eyes widening in surprise. "Riku…!"

He smiled. "Hey."

"I thought you weren't home, so I was just about to leave," I told him, eyeing his hands. "Are those…gardening gloves?"

Riku hid his hands behind his back quickly, embarrassment washing over his face. "Uh, yeah. I… um…had to plant some flowers for Mom. She had to go on a business trip and she won't be back for a few days and she wanted me to…well, you know."

I laughed. "So you're Mr. Gardener now?"

"Don't tell _anybody_," Riku threatened, showing me his fist.

I knew he was joking and rolled my eyes, resting my weight on one leg. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

Riku relaxed again and took the gloves off, tossing them aside on the pavement. "So, what's up?"

"I'm going home tomorrow morning…so I just wanted to say goodbye to everyone before I left."

"Oh." Riku nodded slowly as if it were hard for him to understand. "You know when you're coming back?"

I shook my head sadly and sighed, gazing down at the ground again. "No. I wish I did."

There was a long pause. "Well, I hope you have a safe trip back," Riku told me. He rubbed his chin in thought and acted as if he wanted to say something more, but refrained.

I smiled weakly at him, suddenly feeling very empty. "Thanks. I will," I said, and turned to leave. "Take care of yourself, Riku."

I had reached the end of the driveway when I heard a shout from behind. "Jess!" I whirled around in confusion and saw Riku walking towards me with an indescribable expression on his face. "Wait," he told me, stopping a few feet from where I stood. There was a heartbreaking look of despondency in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked him this, even though I knew what the answer would be.

Riku shook his head, closing his eyes tight. "No. Even though it looks like it, _nobody_ on the island is okay. We're all still in shock from what happened! We…we don't know what to do about…" he trailed off, covering his face with his hands. They were trembling. I'd never seen Riku so upset, and found that my eyes were welling up. I let myself cry and gave a pitiful sniff, taking Riku's hands from his face. His cheeks were marked with tears as well. He gave me a hug and wiped his eyes, now unable to pull them from the ground. We stood there for a few moments in a strange silence, the breeze shifting our hair.

"I'm so sorry about Sora," Riku whispered.

"It's not your fault," I said. "I understand how you feel…more than you probably know."

Riku gave a small chuckle. I could tell his breakdown had exhausted him, and even though I didn't want to leave him that way, there was nothing more I could do. I gave his hand a little squeeze and whispered goodbye. Then without another word I dissapeared around the bend.

- - -

Since I had no idea when I was coming back to visit, I wanted to get a last look of the parts of the islands I loved the most. After saying goodbye to Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus, I called Kairi on my cell phone and told her that I'd be back for dinner after going to see The Falls.

The day was unusually cool. There were a few rain clouds in the sky, but they were nothing to gawk at. Rain clouds hardly bothered the islanders now since there were no more hurricane warnings being issued for the area. Soon a light drizzle of rain began, so I found some temporary shelter under a large banana tree. It didn't keep me dry for long, so I decided to let the rain hit me. At least it was warm and not ice-cold like the rain back home. For a moment I thought of how long I had been away and uttered a small sigh. I missed home very much, but at the same time my heart ached to stay on the Destiny Islands. I felt like I truly belonged here, and even though I missed my family, I was reluctant to think of returning from across the sea.

I found the trail to The Falls some time later. It started about half a mile away from the Ishiyama residence, so I decided to follow it for a mile or two. I had only visited The Falls once a few years ago, so I needed to see the amazing landmark again before leaving.

I continued on down the trail through the rain, pausing to look at a flourishing hibiscus bush. I picked one of the large white flowers and placed it behind an ear, smiling at a hummingbird as I rose and strolled on. By this time my clothing was soaked and clung to me like a wet blanket, but I didn't mind. Through the drizzle of rain I could see the first waterfall in the distance. Only a few more minutes to go…

- - -

I wish I could go back to that moment – back to the rain and the trees and the flowers. Wish I could go back to staying with Kairi and talking to her on those lazy afternoons when we'd dig our feet in the sand. But those moments are long gone, and I'm back home. My sophomore year of high school is over, and I'm almost done saving for a car that I've kept my eye on for awhile; I'm itching to drive my own vehicle now that I've turned sixteen. I can't complain; life is good – I'm always busy with the small pet sitting business I have going on, and if I'm not taking care of someone's dog or cat, I'm out with friends or going to amusement parks. In a few more weeks I'm visiting Kairi again. I can't wait to go, but for now I'm relaxing at home in my pink lawn chair with a glass of lemonade in hand.

I'll never forget that particular day in June just one week before I left to visit Kairi. I went outside to the mailbox to pick up the bills after I had gone swimming at the rec center down town. It was slightly cloudy that day, relieving everything from the sun's blistering heat. The birds were lazily resting on the garden fence, observing me with beady eyes as I strolled past them on the hot concrete to the mailbox. I won't forget the way I thumbed through the mail, glancing in disgust at all the bills. Then I found what I had been looking for.

It was a letter from Kairi. I tore it open happily, eager to hear how she was and what was going on in her life. I remember scanning the first few pages and then reading the whole thing, a gentle smile on my face. Then it happened.

With a loud gasp I dropped the mail and left it in a pile at my feet, standing still as stone. I could immediately feel the tears coming, but instead of forcing them back I let them roll down my cheeks and drip to the scorched ground with a soft splat. Hugging the letter close, I stared up at the sky and let out a high-pitched scream of pure joy and relief.

Sora was alive.


	19. Chapter 19: You Never Lost Me, Jess

I'm SO sorry for not being able to update sooner!!! The dumb site wasn't letting me submit _anything_ -- I don't know why, but I'm so glad it finally got working again. Yesterday I was going to update, but I got in a car accident...so...yeah, I didn't for obvious reasons. lol This chapter was really hard for me to write, because I had to make it especially touching, so...I hope I succeeded. I guess I won't know until you guys review. hehe And oh yeah -- sorry if what I'm thinking at the end of the chapter sounds stupid. It's like, totally random, but I thought it was kinda funny, because while I was typing I was smelling something good from the kitchen...ANYWAYS, enjoy!

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Chapter Nineteen

- **"You Never Lost Me, Jess."** -

"Jess!" Kairi screamed with glee, squeezing me with all she had. "I've missed you _so_ much!"

"I've missed you too, Kairi!" I responded, trying to breath under her smothering grip. She stepped back a few seconds later and gave me a big grin.

"Have you lost weight?"

"Not hardly!" I laughed, playfully smacking her arm.

"Well, you look great!" Kairi chirped, grabbing one of my suitcases. Her eyes were flickering with excitement, and she was grinning from ear to ear like a kid in a candy store. Before I could say anything else she was halfway down the beach. "C'mon!" she called. "There's something special I want you to see at my house."

I'd never seen Kairi this excited, and giggled at the way she tore through the sand towards her home, barely giving me time to catch up. Somehow she could still run without the weight of my suitcase hindering her in any way – how did she do it? As I lumbered along with my other suitcase several feet behind her, I realized that she had grown quite a bit since we had been together last. Kairi was taller, and her shiny auburn hair now hid the back of her neck, barely touching her shoulders. Her hips had filled out considerably as well, and she seemed to carry herself more gracefully (when she wasn't running with a giant suitcase, of course). What a beautiful young adult she was turning out to be. For a moment it was hard to remember her as the tomboyish, outspoken little girl I had met in Traverse Town so long ago.

Kairi snapped me out of it. "Earth to Jess!" There was a puzzled look on her face, but she was laughing nonetheless. "Hey, are you waiting for Sora to come carry you home?" There was a naughty glint in her eyes.

I realized I had almost stopped running and chuckled with embarrassment. "Sorry!" I shouted to her, and picked up the pace. I knew there was nothing I could do now to hide the bright red color in my cheeks, so I looked down at the sand.

Kairi's house was the same inside, except for one thing – there was a crib in her parents' bedroom! The Hiratada family were currently building onto their house so they could accommodate Kairi's new bouncing baby brother, Seiji. He was quite an adorable infant, and had several of the same features as Kairi. Never seeming to miss a thing with his big brown eyes, he was also quite loud – when hungry or in need of a diaper change. However, despite his many quirks, the Hiratadas loved him. Kairi enjoyed taking Seiji down to the beach and letting him get his feet wet, so after I had unpacked most of my things and conversed awhile with Kairi's parents, we headed to the seashore.

- - -

"Look at what Seiji's doing!" Kairi whispered to me, giggling with amusement. She motioned towards her brother, who was sitting upright in the soft sand. Uttering a high-pitched gurgle, Seiji flapped his arms up and down as if he were trying to fly. I laughed and patted him on the head, glancing at Kairi. She was beaming with pride at her baby brother, a soft sparkle in her eyes. For a moment I felt a little jealous of Seiji, because I knew that Kairi would be focusing a lot of her attention on him. I pushed the thought away, mentally scolding myself for being so possessive of my friend.

As I took in the familiar surroundings that I loved, I spotted three people walking along the shoreline towards us. At that point it was hard to recognize them; I wasn't sure if they even saw us. Curiousity began relentlessly tugging at me, so I told Kairi I'd be back and ran through the sun-baked sand to investigate.

The figures soon became clearer, and I immediately recognized Tidus and Riku. Then my heart stopped as I fixed my gaze on the third person. It was Sora.

At that moment my mind drew a blank and I didn't know what to do. _I…can't believe it._ _He really _is_ alive. _Lost for words, I stood where I was as the threesome got closer; soon Tidus saw me and shouted something, waving enthusiastically. I forced a small smile and took a few steps forward, even though it felt as if my feet were nailed to the earth. _You have no other choice but to confront all of them now. _I was furious at myself for not wanting to see Sora again. _What's wrong with me?_ _Why am I acting like such an idiot?_ Suddenly I was standing in front of all of them, and I didn't have any more time to think. My heart was up in my throat, and I felt like I was melting into the sand.

"Hey guys." An unexpected smile spread across my face.

"Didn't know you were in the neighborhood!" Tidus said in his gregarious voice, a big grin plastered to his face.

"Well, here I am!" I laughed, suddenly feeling light.

"How long have you been here?" Riku asked, moving an uncooperative piece of hair out of his face.

"I got here about half an hour ago." I was unable to drag my eyes off of Sora. I couldn't tell what he was thinking from the strange look in his eyes, but he wanted to say something.

"We were just going down to the Secret Place to explore. You wanna come with?" Riku asked.

"Uh, maybe some other time," I told them with a sorry smile. "I'm pretty tired from my trip."

"That's fine," Tidus told me, nodding. "See ya later!"

"You guys go on," Sora said quietly. "I'll catch up with you."

The two boys smiled as if they expected him to stay behind, and ran down the shoreline towards Kairi. I looked down at my feet, suddenly not able to meet Sora's gaze. My heart was racing now, and I felt numb. _On my gosh. He's standing right in front of me. This can't be real. He's not hurt…he's perfectly healthy…this can't be happening. This has to be a dr -_

"Hey Jess," Sora murmured awkwardly. "Long time no see."

"Yeah," I stammered, putting a mark in the sand with my toe. "It's…been a while."

Sora cleared his throat. "So…uh…how's it going?"

I couldn't bear to keep what I was feeling from him any more. It was killing me.

When a small tear forced its way out of my eye, I knew it was all over. "I've been worried sick about you!" I choked. "I spent the last several months wondering what happened to you and if you were all right!" I hugged my elbows close and took a deep breath, but it was no use now. I was sobbing like a little school girl, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Sora stared at me in absolute shock, his eyes wide. For a few moments he was silent, a sad glint in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said finally, his voice low. "I'm so sorry, Jessica. I…I didn't mean to hurt you like this."

I wiped my eyes and sniffed. _Look what you've done now, Jess. You've made the poor boy sorry! _Blinking away the remaining tears, I stepped forward, now looking him straight in the eye. "Don't say that, Sora. It wasn't your fault. You and I both know there was nothing you could do after the storm separated us."

"I know that," he told me. "But…I had no idea you…felt so…so strongly about all this!"

I felt another blush coming on, but this time I didn't try to hide it. "I had no idea either," I chuckled, looking at Sora's feet. "I didn't realize how I felt until I had lost you."

Sora put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them. "You never lost me, Jess."

With another sniff I gazed up at Sora and saw that he was smiling. There was something reflected on his face that I'd never seen before in anyone else. "You're right," I told him, smiling back. He gently wiped my wet cheeks with a hand, a loving glow in his deep blue eyes.

"You'll never have to worry about me again. I'm here for you now, and I always will be."

With a small cry I embraced Sora tightly, not ever wanting to let him go. His skin was warm against my face as I buried my head in his neck, now crying tears of joy. I was so full of relief that I almost felt dizzy, and let out a small giggle. That only made Sora squeeze me tighter, so I giggled again and kissed his ear. _I can't believe that everything is all right. The bad memories are gone forever, and the knawing worries have dissapeared…is this for real? Will somebody pinch me? Ooh, wow…Sora smells really good…_

At that moment, nothing else mattered. Time froze for us. We didn't care if the ocean waves lapped strands of seaweed and shells against our feet. We took no note of Kairi, Tidus, and Riku, who were all staring at us with their mouths open. The sun smiled down on the islands as Sora and I held each other for an eternity, the salty wind blowing against our skin.


	20. Chapter 20: Perfection at Last

Well, here you have it -- the last chapter of my first fanfic. Whaaaaa!!!! I don't want it to end!!! I had so much fun writing this story! Sniff, sob...oh well. In advance, I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers for keeping up with this story and inspiring me to write my best: **Kokonita**, **angelofsweetness**, **Wishes of an Angel**, **singergrl14**, **KHObsessedEvilGeniusoftheCOA**, **kairi-i-love-sora**, and many others (sorry if I forgot to put your name here or misspell it, don't worry, you still matter!). It's been a total blast. A million thank-yous to you guys, I love you all!

And now, without further ado, I present chapter twenty of my story.

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Chapter Twenty

- **Perfection at Last** -

The stars danced and blinked in the purple night sky, appearing one by one to shimmer down on the islands. I was standing on the back deck of a large treehouse, breathing in the sweet scent of honeysuckle that drifted up to the tallest trees on small currents of air. I could make out the gentle calling of nightbirds far above and the lazy humming of fireflies – the soothing, familiar noises I had heard so many times before. Far below me the soft pulse of music echoed off the trees, intermingled with the laughter and talking of many people. With a blissful sigh I let my eyelids droop, the island breeze whispering in my ears. _This is so great. I still can't believe how perfect my life is right now. I'm at my favorite place in the whole world, and all my friends are here with me…including Sora… _My head began spinning with thoughts of the boy I loved, a sudden warmth flooding my cheeks. I was so used to the sensation now that I simply smiled to myself, knowing it couldn't be helped. I now understood that it was nothing to be embarrassed about, and had grown fond of the way it felt.

A wedding reception was being held for a visiting couple who had married earlier that day. Because of the small population, everyone had been invited, inlcuding other visitors like myself. Yet I was currently uninterested in what was taking place on the ground far below. _The reception should have been held up here…you can't see any gorgeous views from the ground! Oh well…I guess the treehouse couldn't fit everyone. _A few of the islanders had placed tables and string lights in the treehouse for the newlyweds to be alone, but they were walking on the beach. That meant the space was temporarily free to anyone, so I was taking advantage of the opportunitiy. Kairi, Sora, and several others were inside, playing a game of pictionary. I could hear Wakka shouting "No man, it's a ball of yarn!" and then Selphie, who thought the picture was a sunflower. I gave a silent laugh of amusement, wanting to join them. _Nah, they just started the game. I'll stay outside a few more minutes._ I couldn't tear my gaze away from the moon – it was full tonight, and cast a silver glow on the surroundings.

"Out here all alone?"

Startled, I turned around to see Sora leaning against the doorway, a wide grin on his face. I immediately relaxed and grinned back at him. "Not anymore," I murmured, watching as he came to stand beside me. "Isn't the view beautiful? It makes you feel like you're on top of the world."

Sora was still watching me, awe dancing in his eyes. "You look amazing," he said, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. For a moment I stood dumbstruck in front of him, slowly raising my hand to touch where his lips had been.

"What was that for?"

Sora laughed, putting his arms around my neck. He then kissed me again on the tip of my nose, holding my gaze for a few heartbeats. "You kissed me yesterday at the beach, so I just thought I'd return the favor," he said, still grinning. I'd never seen him so happy.

Uttering a small, affectionate chuckle, I rested my forehead against his and put my hands on his shoulders. We were both silent for a long time, mesmerized by the wonderful thing taking place between us. I still couldn't believe that it was all a reality, and was so overwhelmed with feelings of sheer relief and joy that I couldn't speak. I knew that Sora understood. "Sometimes you don't need words, huh?" he asked me softly. I nodded, my lips curled upwards in a permanent smile.

The sound of another drawing match between Kairi and Riku broke the atmosphere. Sora took a few steps back and watched the group try to guess what the picture was, eyes flickering with amusement. "They're having so much fun in there," he told me. "You should have seen Tidus's picture of a person flying a kite. It was hilarious!"

I laughed at the thought, glancing down at the small toe ring on my foot. "Um, Sora?"

He turned back towards me and frowned, puzzled at my expression. "What's wrong, Jess?"

"It's nothing, I just…" I sighed and looked up at him with questioning blue eyes, longing to know his story. "It's just, well…what _happened_ to you out there? You know, after the hurricane?"

A serious look washed over Sora's face, and for an instant all the trauma he had experienced from the storm could be seen in his eyes. He turned and studied the miles of greenery bathed in moonlight that stretched out before us. "I got lost," he said simply, his eyes moving to the edge of the balcony. "After nearly drowning and washing up on shore, I immediately wanted to look for you because I was worried you were hurt like I was. But I didn't recognize anything around me and my throat was swollen and dry, so I went in the jungle to find some water.

"I ended up getting a fever after the first day. I hadn't found any water, and only stopped once to eat a few mangos because I was hungry. I ended up almost passing out from thirst, but right before that I heard the sound of rushing water in the distance. There was a small waterfall about fifty feet away with some fruit trees surrounding it, so I made it my home for a few days."

I was listening intently, eyes wide. "What happened after that?" I urged him. I could tell he didn't like talking about it, but I wanted to know everything.

Sora paused before he spoke, looking up at the moon. "I ended up leaving the waterfall after the first week and headed in the direction that I assumed were The Falls, trying to get my bearings. But there was no familiar landmark I could identify, and after another few days had passed I was deathly ill. I had managed to find some puddles of rain water here and there, but I was getting sicker every day from drinking it. I had lost a lot of weight too – I hadn't eaten anything but small pieces of fruit and nuts for the past few weeks. So…one day I layed down among some ferns and ended up going unconscious."

"Oh Sora!" I gasped, slowly shaking my head in disbelief.

"It wasn't over yet. An old fisherman found me! When I woke up again I was in the SquareEnix Avenue hospital with a small tube stuck in my arm. The doctor said I was in the worst condition she had ever seen, but I would almost be fully recovered within a month or two." He sighed, taking my hand and giving it a little squeeze. "Even though I'm okay now, my body was damaged badly from starvation. I have to take a special medication every morning and night for my digestion now because of going so long without real food."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Sora put a finger to my lips. "Don't tell me you're sorry," he whispered. "Just be thankful that I'm alive – that _we're_ alive! You have no idea how much I missed you when I was out there. You were practically all I thought about. I had no idea you were all right until Kairi told me everything about a month ago. She said you were almost in agony because you couldn't find me and that she sent you a letter after I had been found."

"I was so thrilled when I found out you were okay!" I breathed, gently placing a hand on Sora's cheek. "I could barely wait until I visited Kairi again because I knew you would be there too. Just like old times!"

"Only this is _way_ better," Sora snickered, pulling me close to him. I closed my eyes and felt his hand move to the back of my head, the other one pressed tenderly against my spine. I knew he was looking out again over the expanse of jungle far below, and was confident that this time there was no sad, searching gleam in his eyes. Instead all I saw that night was a happy sparkle that reflected the silver light of the moon. I now was certain that Sora was no longer looking for anything; now he wasn't worried about what he may or may not find in life. He no longer had to tell me how he felt or the secret of loving me that he had kept, and as we walked back inside the treehouse hand in hand, I realized that I had known all along. Sora had finally found what he wanted.

He'd found me. And if I do say so myself, I'm very glad he did.

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**THE END**! Sob sob sob!!! I hope you all liked the ending -- I tried to make it as fluffy as possible!

Kairi: WHAT?! That's the end?

Me: Yep. Of _this _story, anyways. - laughs mischeviously -

Sora: Oooh, I see...hehe.

Riku: Come on now, you can't just end it...without having a sequel!

Me: ...Yes I know! Why did you think I just laughed mischeviously and said 'yep, the end of this story, anyways'? - bonks Riku on the head-

lol.

I can't stress how much I appreciate all your wonderful reviews. I'm so glad that I put this story on -- I was afraid to at first; I thought that the story was dumb because it didn't follow Kindgom Hearts exactly (for instance: Sora and Kairi aren't an item, there's no Heartless or Disney characters). But then I realized that's what writing fanfiction is all about!!! And I had an awesome time writing it. This feels so weird...being finished and everything. I'm expecting to say 'I'll update next week!' or something like that. I am definately going to write a sequel (check my profile page for more info). But first I'll probably take a little break and start writing again in January. So until that time, this is BlueEyedMystery signing off. Sayonara everyone, and thanks again for making this such a great experience!!! Ew, hope that didn't sound too dramatic...lol.

Kairi: Yes, it did. But that's okay, because I've got some...sushi and green tea icecream!

Me: - sighs - Not again!

Sora: I'm starving, let's go! - grabs my hand -

Riku: Hey, wait for me!

- All run off to Kairi's house -


End file.
